The guards returned Zoe to her cell hours later. One of them carried her over his shoulder and dumped her inside as soon as they had the door open. By the lack of movement or noise on her part, Lucas didn’t think she felt it when they tossed her in there.
She hadn’t looked too good coming back. Hundreds of small holes dotted her body and her skin was red and bloated. Kerbasi discovered a poison long ago that worked well on weakened nephilim. It caused blinding hot pain when injected in massive amounts—and the guardian never did anything in half measures.
When Lucas had recently suggested trying the poison out on Zoe, Kerbasi’s eyes had gleamed with pleasure. He didn’t even question why Lucas brought it up. He’d just started planning the necessary preparations he’d have to do to concoct the mixture. If the female nephilim wasn’t going to be here long, she at least deserved for her stay to be memorable. Lucas had warned her there were always ways to make someone pay in this place.
The only drawback was the unending screams he and Bartol were forced to suffer through over the last few hours. Kerbasi had made a point of leaving the chamber door open so his prisoners wouldn’t miss the ear-splitting sounds. Zoe didn’t take any of her torture sessions well, but her cries this time had risen to a new level. If she’d been capable of dying from terror and pain, this would have done it.
Silence fell in the tunnel after the guards left, but it didn’t last long.
Kerbasi’s heavy steps echoed as he drew near. His feet splashed over the numerous puddles that had gathered throughout the caves. They always seemed to leak worse when he tortured his prisoners. Whether or not any connection existed, no one knew. The whole place was designed with a different kind of magic than what existed on earth.
The guardian stopped in front of Lucas’ cell.
“It’s time for your next court session, nephilim,” he said, gray eyes swirling. “Do try to cooperate with the angels. Execution is such a final thing. It would sadden me if our time together came to an end after all these centuries.”
“Don’t worry, guardian.” Lucas lifted the corner of his lip. “One day we’ll reunite in Hell and I’ll be waiting for you there.”
Kerbasi chuckled and unlocked the cell, opening the door wide. “I’m not sure Hell would take either one of us.”
“One can only hope.”
Lucas crawled out and stood up. Every one of his limbs protested after too many hours of being cramped in a tight space. Sitting still for so long didn’t put him in the best of moods, either. He wanted to instigate a fight with the guardian to get some of his aggression out, but it didn’t fit with his plans. Today he had to keep himself in complete control.
He and Kerbasi walked together through several turns in the tunnels before coming to a wider section where a stream ran along one side. It came out a large hole in the wall at one end, flowed openly for about twenty feet, then went inside another hole. Kerbasi handed him a lump of soap and a coarse rag after removing the chain from his manacles. The guardian must have determined he wouldn’t try anything today.
Lucas took his time scrubbing the blood off from previous torture sessions and finished by gulping down several handfuls of water before Kerbasi ordered him to stop. He didn’t argue. Even that small amount helped bring back a few degrees of his strength.
Kerbasi gave him a robe next. Once Lucas had pulled it over his head, he allowed the guardian to reattach the chain for his manacles behind his back. The humiliation of it burned him, but he remained quiet. It was good practice for facing the archangel tribunal—they’d be even more difficult to handle.
They finished the rest of their journey through the tunnels and found Remiel waiting for them at the cave entrance. Kerbasi exchanged terse greetings with the archangel while Lucas stared up at the blue sky. He was counting in multiple languages. It kept his mind distracted until they reached the courthouse. By the time he reached one hundred in English, Greek, and Aramaic, they had arrived.
All the same archangels sat at the table when he and Remiel walked inside, their faces as impassive as ever. Lucas continued counting while his ankles were shackled to the floor. Docile—he had to appear docile. Every muscle in his body itched to fight, to mash all their heads together and make them see reason. He shouldn’t even be here. Now he had to put on the performance of his life if he hoped for any chance to get out.
Remiel strode over to the table and stood next to it. He settled his wings behind him and met Lucas’ eyes.
“During your last visit here, we held what the humans might consider more of a pre-trial. It also provided us with an opportunity to establish our intentions with you. Today we begin in earnest.” He glanced back at his fellow archangels.
Lucas kept himself still.
“I will introduce you to the other presiding judges,” Remiel announced. “The one on the far left is Uriel. You’ve met him before.”
Indeed, he had. The bald archangel was present when Lucas had been tried for killing Henrik Nielson and the other sensors. Uriel had pushed heavily for execution back then and had been disappointed when he didn’t get what he wanted. His position at the tribunal didn’t bode well at all for Lucas.
“The archangel next to him is Zadkiel. Though your reputation precedes you, this will be his first experience with you up close. I’d suggest you give him a good impression. He can be quite fair if you’re cooperative.”
Zadkiel’s eyes didn’t have the same icy coldness some of the others had. There might have even been a hint of curiosity in his expression. Good. Lucas could work with that. He gave a solemn nod to the blond archangel before returning his attention to Remiel.
“The third judge is Ariel. She requested to participate in this trial and has a keen interest in your recent activities. Her influence on this panel cannot be understated. Do not take any questions she asks lightly.”
He could be wrong, but it appeared Remiel took greater care than usual with his introductions. What was his game? It behooved Lucas to consider the advice, but he still found it suspicious. For now, he’d play along until he had a better grasp of the situation. He could always adjust tactics as needed.
Lucas gave a slow nod at Ariel, sizing her up as he did so. She had dark brown hair, falling in waves past her shoulders. Her facial features were soft and delicate, but it was her golden eyes that caught his attention the most. She scrutinized him with an intensity that said if she found him wanting, he’d be a dead man. It didn’t surprise him. Even among angels, women could wield a power so subtle that men tended to ignore it until it was too late.
“The final judge is Haniel. You’ve met him before as well. I don’t think I need to emphasize how important it is that you don’t antagonize him again this time.”
Lucas worked to keep his lips from twitching. He might have made a reference to the miniscule size of Haniel’s cock at a previous trial. The archangel had a quick temper and proved far too easy to bait. Lucas glanced at him, gauging his mood. He had hard, angular features accentuated by the long black hair framing his face.
If he’d ever smiled in his long life, he must have strained a muscle to do so. Perhaps the archangel suffered from bowel movement problems. It would explain the constant grimace he wore. With it being his standard expression, Lucas couldn’t get a good read on him.
“Do you have any questions before we begin?”
Actually, he’d like to know why most archangel names rhymed.
“No, I have none,” he answered instead. He’d let his thoughts roam free, but he’d do his best to keep from voicing them—even if it killed him.
“Very well, we will start with the events that brought you here today. The panel will ask you questions that you must answer truthfully and to the best of your knowledge. Remember, we will know if you’re lying.”
Lucas had learned that lesson long ago. The only way to hide things from them was to not speak at all. Unfortunately, they would have observed the aforementioned events and would be aware of everything that ha
d happened. The only things they couldn’t discern were the thoughts and motivations of those involved. Kerbasi could do it in close proximity to his subject, but few archangels possessed such a talent.
Remiel nodded at Haniel. “You may proceed.”
They planned to test Lucas’ patience early in the session today.
The archangel’s eyes took on a hard glint, but he waited until Remiel took his seat before speaking. “Lucas of Pistiros, what were you thinking when you allowed your assigned sensor to participate in the battle with the demons? You must have known she’d be vulnerable.”
“It wasn’t a decision I made lightly.” Lucas forced himself to remain calm. He could do this. “According to our research, only a sensor could resolve the problem. We had no one else available who could be trusted with the job.”
There. He’d managed to answer without mentioning any of the archangel’s physical deficiencies. Now he just had to keep it up.
Haniel lifted a brow. “It wasn’t your problem to worry about. Protecting Melena Sanders should have been your priority, especially considering the risk to your own life.”
“I owed a friend a favor.” Lucas kept his voice even. “He asked for my assistance in dealing with the demons, and I felt honor-bound to help him.”
“Honor...as if you have any,” Haniel scoffed. “This friend of yours died a gruesome death rather early in the battle. It seems to me you failed two people who depended on you that day. I’m certainly thankful I don’t have to trust you with my life.”
Lucas held back a flinch. Whenever he hadn’t been thinking of Melena—or rather, trying not to think of her—while in the black hole, he’d been tormented by Aeson’s death. He hadn’t had time to find out what happened to the cambion and still couldn’t be sure. He’d been distracted battling Zoe until his internal alarm went off, letting him know Melena was about to die.
He’d flashed over to protect her, only catching a brief glimpse of Aeson’s mutilated form. Similar to nephilim, a cambion couldn’t be killed easily. The demon prince, Stolas, had to have been the one to do it, only turning his attention toward Melena afterward. The battle to keep the demon off of her took all of Lucas’ skill and it still hadn’t been enough.
Melena should have fled, but she’d stayed in the fight and shot the prince’s eyes out to slow him down. Then things took a turn for the worse when the demon slammed her into a tree, resulting in massive internal injuries. She’d died in Lucas’ arms just as Micah arrived to help. It had been his brother’s idea to use nephilim blood and CPR to bring her back.
The guilt hadn’t stopped gnawing at him over his inability to keep Melena and Aeson alive, though. If he hadn’t chased after Zoe, he might have been able to prevent both their deaths. A part of him knew he deserved to be executed. He’d fought in countless wars, always keeping the men at his side safe—even if they were human. Then, in what should have been a simple battle, he’d failed to protect two people he cared about. If not for the danger Melena continued to face, he wouldn’t bother to argue the archangel’s points, but his sensor still needed him. He couldn’t let her down again, even if she didn’t expect anything from him.
Lucas didn’t allow any of his turbulent emotions to show. Haniel would love to see he’d hit a sore point and do his best to exploit it. What Lucas needed to do was redirect the questioning somewhere else.
“Aeson did die in the battle—most likely from confronting the demon prince. We had hoped to prevent Stolas from being summoned, but when that failed we were unable to handle an adversary of his caliber. If I recall correctly, keeping such a being out of the mortal realm is the responsibility of the archangels, rather than the earth-born races.”
Maybe he went too far with that last part, considering his resolve not to bait the judges, but they knew damn well it was their duty. Remiel hadn’t bothered to show up until after Stolas had attacked Melena and then the archangel spent nearly ten minutes battling it out with the demon. A being with his kind of power shouldn’t have needed that long. It wasn’t like he faced Satan himself.
Lucas had been too busy trying to save Melena to catch much of what happened, but he’d noted that the first few minutes had been a struggle because it took time for the archangel to draw the fight away from them. That’s what he got for sitting on his holier-than-thou ass all day. He was out of practice.
The only reason Remiel had won at all was because he could push his smiting power through his sword—once he finally got it in the demon’s chest. If Lucas had that ability, he would have returned the prince to Hell much faster.
Haniel glared at Lucas. “Then perhaps you and your friends should have left the area until one of us could arrive to handle the situation.”
“And what would you have had us do with all the possessed humans we were trying to hold?” Lucas bit off. “Not to mention I was occupied with trying to keep Zoe of Chalcis from opening the circle holding the prince. Melena needed time to find a way to send Stolas back—not that there’s an instruction manual for sensors on how to go about doing that. If you want to hold someone other than yourselves responsible, perhaps Zoe would be a better target since she orchestrated the entire event.”
The archangel leaned forward. “Zoe of Chalcis may have used her influence to help induce the situation, but her role was minor. Others freely chose to summon the demons. Throughout the entire episode, she didn’t take a single life. Shifting the blame to her is ridiculous.”
Lucas had to give the female nephilim credit. She’d mastered the art of skirting the rules so she would come out on top. He began to wonder if she would use her minions to reach Melena instead. Her recent stay in Purgatory would make her doubly cautious about doing anything that would result in her return. One more thing for Lucas to worry about on top of everything else.
Ariel cleared her throat. “If I may?”
“Of course.” Haniel’s face softened a fraction as he looked at her. “This one has said nothing to sway my opinion of him. I doubt he ever will, but perhaps you’ll have better luck.”
Lucas didn’t think anything short of getting on his hands and knees and begging for mercy would have any impact on that archangel—something he’d never do for anyone. Some lines one didn’t cross with their enemies no matter the consequences.
Ariel’s gaze fell on Lucas. “You’ve yet to fully explain why you allowed Melena to be present at the battle. I understand she was a useful tool against the demons, but this is a case where we might have looked the other way if you’d forced her to stay out of it. You’ve certainly shown a disregard for her freedom of choice before. What was different this time?”
Lucas shifted on the bench. This was a question he’d asked himself a thousand times while in the black hole. He had no choice but to give her the best answer he could. His verbal battle with Haniel hadn’t done him any favors and he needed Ariel on his side to make up for it.
“I explained the dangers to the sensor, only withholding the details my contract forbids me from telling her. She insisted on participating, despite my arguments. I admit I went against my better judgment and allowed her to join us partly because of her determination.”
The male archangel, Urial, snapped his wings behind him. “You could have coerced one of the sensors working with Zoe to switch to your side to help. It hasn’t been above you in the past to use convincing methods for such purposes.”
And now the real inquisition began. They’d find every possible flaw to make him look bad. It’s always easier to look at a battle afterward and point out what could have been done differently. When you’re in the thick of things with danger coming at you from every side, you have to go with your instincts and hope for the best. That’s what he’d done.
Lucas gripped his chains to keep himself under control. “Prior to the battle, we had limited evidence of the sensors’ involvement with Zoe. There was no way we could be sure they’d even show up.”
“Nevertheless,” Ariel said, taking control once agai
n, “it was a great risk. It seems to me you allowed Melena to have her way for more than the reasons you’re giving.”
Lucas had a strong suspicion she was steering the questions in a particular direction. One he’d hoped to avoid.
“She’s a strong woman with an unhealthy desire to protect humans. If I’d kept her from it, she’d have never forgiven me.”
Haniel pounded his fist on the table. “I find it hard to believe you couldn’t control one mortal woman.”
“Clearly,” Lucas said, lifting his brows, “you lack experience with women.”
“They aren’t that difficult,” Haniel said, brushing an invisible piece of lint from his white robe.
Ariel smacked him in the arm. “Do not interrupt, Hanny.”
The male archangel’s olive complexion turned red. Lucas nearly choked himself to hold back a laugh.
“Now,” she said, ignoring Haniel’s grumbling, “did it truly matter to you that Melena might not forgive you?”
She wasn’t going to be deterred.
Lucas gritted his teeth. “Yes.”
“Do you hold her responsible for your current circumstances, considering you wouldn’t be here if she’d listened to you?” Ariel asked.
She was worse than the psychologist about wanting to know his feelings. What was it with women and their desire to know these things?
“No, I don’t hold her responsible. I knew when I brought her to Juneau that once she saw the demon problem for herself, she wouldn’t be able to turn her back on it.” That characteristic annoyed him to no end—but he also admired her for it.
“I have spent some time studying your history, Lucas of Pistiros.” She gazed at him intently. “This is the first time I’ve seen you hold yourself accountable for your actions, which tells me Melena has had some affect on you. If you could stop shifting the blame for other things and show more remorse, it might convince us there is hope for you.”
Zadkiel shook his head. “His first meeting with the psychologist tells us a different story. It seems to me he is still holding back. If he doesn’t put more effort into the next session with Eli, I will remain convinced he hasn’t changed at all.”
Chained by Darkness (Sensor Series, Book 2.5) Page 5
