Karma looked thoughtful, instead of being a bitch for once. She, too, nodded, then turned around. “Nothing much I can say to that,” Karma said, “but I’m not a part of the trial. If you do try something like escape, I will do my job as the punisher, if Lord Conus orders it.”
“By the way, Lord Conus will be visiting within the hour,” the angel warned. The nervousness struck hard as they left me with silence and anticipation. I was not looking forward to seeing him. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was going to suck.
Chapter Forty
If there had been a clock nearby, I would’ve stared at it condescendingly. Time ticked and there’d be no doubt, I’d hear the clicks grow louder by the second. I began to draw on the power in the air. The sensation felt electrifying. Ever nerve in my body flared up. The warmth of heavenly-light surrounded me. Electricity sparked from my skin as if static electricity went nuts.
“What the fuck?” I whispered. This place housed many leftover essences—from angels, gods, a few archangels, and even some energies that were unrecognizable. Within a few minutes, my tank of power spilled over. It wouldn’t do any good against Conus. Oh no, this power’s only for getting the fuck out of here. My thoughts dimmed when I felt it, a presence that was both familiar and nearly infinite.
“Attention! Lord Conus enters!” an angelic attendant announced. I could’ve shat myself at that moment. His footsteps were rhythmic, dynamic—as if an invisible orchestra catered to his every will, emitting sounds of kingship and doom, until at last, he stood right on the other side of the bars.
Conus Helios, ruler of the universe, head of the House of Judgment, my goddamn father. As if things weren’t already fucking awkward enough, the douchebag angel attendant opened the bars with a big ass grin on his face, and then actually made them disappear. He bowed deeply to Conus, then trotted off, but not before beaming at me. I made a mental note to pay that fucker back one day. Conus’s stare, maybe glare, felt like icicles stabbing into me, freezing my bloodstream.
That didn’t stop the anger from flooding my mind. The grudge that couldn’t wait to resurface after Conus left, erupted. Then I felt the iron-hot explosion of the backhand that rocketed me into the desk, breaking it into pieces. It hurt—this is why we can’t have nice things. That wasn’t one backhand—no, it was seven, delivered to my face at the speed of light. I wiped the blood off my nose and glared at him defiantly.
“Foolish son of mine,” he began. “You have shamed our clan and our family. You have brought shame upon me, yourself, your brothers, and your honor.” He paused his lecture and gave me a glance over. “At least you’ve done well to refrain from gluttony, an unfortunate bad habit of humanity. You chose to train and to keep your temple mostly pure. Had you served your time without any disrespect, without the increase of impurities, the commitment you’ve shown to your studies would have been honored. Hell’s punishment is there for a reason. To take those who commit high crimes and detain them. For heavenly-beings who are not sent to the depths, it’s a means of purification and a warning. For if the ruling clan cannot obey our laws, what will be there to follow as the example? Yet, you did not allow yourself to be purified, foolish boy. You doused yourself with hatred and declared yourself to the wind an enemy of Paradise Realm. You embarrass yourself by being a prisoner in your own homeland. You still understand nothing. You have learned nothing.”
I glared into his glowing, light-blue eyes, seething in anger. In fact, it was borderline rage.
“How dare you,” I said, barely containing my anger. “How fucking dare you? You who left me there to rot. You who gave me no chance, no hope. You who claim to have made an example out of me. You who are supposed to be my father, let his own son burn and called it a lesson. You’re the one who understands nothing!” I roared as my anger could no longer stay bottled up. The source of all of my fury stood in front of me. My brain seemed to stop functioning because I charged Conus, a challenge that was surely suicide on my part. The heavenly-light that surrounded me as a reaction to my will to fight or my anger, felt cold now. I threw a punch that Conus blocked with a finger.
“The light of darkness,” he said in a soft voice. “Even you are better than this. Pull back your darkness and call forth the light. Do not let hatred be the fuel for your power.” He backhanded me hard enough to make me see stars as I flew backward into the already broken desk. Four angelic guards appeared from nowhere, swords at the ready on my neck.
“If you give us the word, Lord Conus, we’ll put him down.”
I laughed so hard, tears fell from my eyes, and by the sudden smell of iron, I knew they were of blood, but didn’t care if I began to self-fall. I felt tired of this shit—so tired of this me-agains- the-world bullshit. The universe just wasn’t in my favor. Despite the circumstances, I had tried to grasp a normal life. It just wouldn’t happen.
Without moving, I unleashed a tidal wave of force that bashed all of the angels back, then stood. They recovered and rushed me, but before the blood fest could begin, Conus’s voice boomed like thunder.
“That’s enough!” Everyone froze in place. He walked over to me. “This is not how we handle disputes. It seems you still have some way to go when it comes to maturing.” He placed a finger on my forehead. My tears of blood vanished along with what he called the light of darkness. My rage calmed as the familiar warmth of heavenly-light returned to me. “I don’t care how angry you are with me, you will remember your roots. You are of Paradise Realm. You will not ooze hatred here. nor be the cause of chaos. Now rest. Your trial will begin tomorrow.”
As he walked away, flanked by the angel guards, the bars of the holding cell reappeared, seeming to slam shut by themselves. I just sat there, unmoving, until sleep took over.
Chapter Forty-one
I remembered asking Teemie for a hardcore favor before angels marched into my cell and awoke me. To my surprise, they gave me one hour to get ready, including a pair of black pants and a blue collared shirt, for the gig. Afterwards, they wasted no time in bounding my wrists in chains, escorting me to the destination.
“So where are we headed?” I asked, conversationally. My mood held fast with determination and resolve. Whatever Conus did had done wonders. I felt relaxed, not angry. Did he visit just to do something to my psyche that would make the trial easier for them? Don’t get me wrong, I had no intention of pleading guilty to any bullshit. No way. Ladies and gentlemen, I had a plan.
My tank was still full even though I hadn’t filled it after the fallout with Conus. In the dream world, I took the time to think. While there wasn’t a guarantee of said plan working, I’d at least go out with a bang.
“You will be judged at the arena of destiny,” one of the six angels said. That didn’t surprise me. This is the same place legend said Lucifer got the boot. I wanted to object being placed in the same category as that prick—I hadn’t gone all Terminator on Paradise Realm. Legend also stated that the King of gods himself came to our universe to oversee the falling, trialing the first of the Fallen with fire and brimstone. Though, for some reason, Lucifer doesn’t appear to have the black wings and tears of blood going on like the rest of them. Goddammit, Conus. Go big or go home, I guess.
“All I can say is, good luck,” another angel said with a slow, depressing shake of his head. We eventually reached the coliseum, after traveling a few blocks then entering a door that teleported us right to the location. The mini-ascension left me a bit disorientated for a few seconds. My powers were still negated. For now. I had to pull off the escape attempt at the right time, the right away, or else. The audience inside made my jaw drop. So much noise and chatter from millions, maybe billions of beings. Eyes drew to me immediately, watching with curiosity. I scoped the crowd.
The first thing that caught my attention was the Helios Clan logo, an over-glorified golden sun—obviously their section. My immediate family had solemn expressions, except the stepmother, who looked cheerful for the first time ever, the bitch. My cousins, aunts, uncle
s, and others who didn’t have my blood but were members of the clan, were seated in rows behind them. If you’ve been to any sports stadium or at least seen anything on TV, that’s exactly what the coliseum looked like, only gold.
I turned my gaze from my clan to the other sections consisting of the Mercury Clan, Venus, Mars—you know, all the damn planets plus the angel clans of North, South, East, West and some others I didn’t give two shits about. Oh, let’s not stop there. Misthangers had a nice piece of the pie. Nuisances. I felt relieved that there was no sign of the king of gods, which meant this invitation unraveled for our universe only. If he appeared, I could forget about my plan. He’d simply will the trial go however he saw fit. I was seconds away from turning from the audience when I noticed rare visitors.
Reapers or death gods were on one side. The group next to them were of the Valkyrie Clan. Sitting ahead of them, representing leadership, was the Valkyrie princess. Words cannot describe how beautiful she was—long snow-white hair, perfect face, glistening violet eyes, incredible breasts, badass sword sheathed in a scabbard—every man had a crush on her at least once, maybe a million times. I forced my thoughts away from the crowd. They were irrelevant. Witnesses to mentally document the execution of the guy who was supposed to succeed Conus Helios.
It’s strange, not once had I caught any talk of a new successor.
Not even from Amelia, Karma, Hialucus, or any angels. After all of these years, someone should’ve taken my place. What the hell was going on? And why wasn’t I disowned? The angel guards stopped me, yards from a golden podium.
I hummed the Judge Judy theme quietly to myself.
Conus, flanked by the House of Judgment gazed at me. And holy shit—this couldn’t be right...had to be my bad perception—there was no way I should see worry in those glowing eyes. Conus’s eyes reminded me of how a cat’s gaze shined from the aggravation of a flashlight. Unsettling almost, like you can tell that he’s able to end your world with just a thought. Gods are intimidating, but Conus took it to another level. Six feet, seven inches tall with bulging muscle visible through his black robe, he stood as the big boss of them all. Hah—what made people think I could possibly succeed that? Just then, his voice boomed like the roar of a giant waterfall or the biggest fucking thunder crack ever. Even a deaf man would’ve heard that.
“Open the court, then proceed to announce the charges!”
An archangel stepped up, bowed deeply to the House of Judgment, then turned to the crowd.
It took the fuck nearly an hour to recite some history of Paradise Realm and the arena of destiny in great detail, which Conus hadn’t asked for, saving my charges for last. At the end of the sermon, he asked, “Epex Helios, do you have a statement?”
I was taken aback by the pleading in his eyes—desperation, maybe pity. Sure, I could flip this guy the finger but even I knew the time and place for such things—and shooting the messenger who’s doing his job isn’t the way to go. It’d probably be hilarious, but I no longer felt the rage from yesterday. No, just calm and resolve. I decided to humor them, to give a statement, uncaring about the relief in the eyes of many. I guess the rumors of my lovely attitude had spread like wild fire.
“All odds seem to weigh against me,” I began, then chuckled. “Many of you, perhaps all of you have never experienced what it’s like to live in Hell. Well it sucks. It can do things to a man’s head. I developed a survival instinct like no other. The misthangers, the hunters—we all know they attacked first, and with the intent to kill. As much as I hate to sound arrogant, I am a son of Conus. I will fight before I let them bowl right over me. I make no excuses but I do sway strongly with self-defense. There is no treason. I simply grabbed, or at least tried to grab, the mundane human life for myself. It’s not like I had anywhere else to go. I do not conspire against Paradise Realm, my birth world. That’s pointless, suicidal, and maddening. However, I do not deny my odd uses of power. I did what I had to do to survive. I tapped into some abilities that I still know little of, and managed to use them to escape. Hell, can’t blame me there. Who would willingly stay in a state of agony when an opportunity of relief is in your hands? You guys wanted my side of the story, my statement. Well, there you have it. I will not cast away my dignity and beg but I speak nothing but the truth.”
The archangel nodded, confirming the sincerity to Conus, though I doubted he needed confirmation. He was there for some of it.
“Your statement has been accepted,” Conus said as a solemn expression overtook his face. “The House has decided that I cannot cast a vote of judgment. I do, however, recommend something less distasteful.”
I caught confused expressions on many of the faces of the audience, but turned to the group that would supposedly decide my fate. There were a total of thirteen members of the House of Judgment, including Conus. The other twelve gathered in a circle and stared at each other, indicating telepathic communication. They could include or exclude anyone they wanted in that internal conversation, Conus being no exception. The power to speak directly to the mind using one’s thoughts is something humanity could only dream of—but guys up here live off this shit. It took about fifteen minutes or so for the House of douches to finish their discussion. I wouldn’t put it past them to probably have mentioned the alluring presence of the Valkyrie princess. The group turned to me in unison, expressions hardened. One of them took the lead.
“Epex Helios, son of the Helios Clan. We sentence you to an indeterminate amount of time in the depths. While you spoke in sincerity, crimes were still committed, and lives lost. In your favor, we removed the permanent factor and added the cap of fifty-eight years. When the House has decided time is served, you will be removed from the depths and restored. Stand by as your escort will be arriving shortly.”
I looked at Conus’s angry face, but shook my head at his silence, not surprised at the outcome of the trial. However, if Conus implied in-realm punishment, the House of Judgment normally did it. Hell, was supposed to do it—Conus is the fucking ruler of the universe. Something strange was going on and I was gone too long to catch wind of it. The crowd went silent, probably showering me with gazes of pity or indifference. Yeah, fuck that, it was time to ditch this shit show.
“The escort has arrived,” one of the House douchebags said. My eyes widened at the site of a smug Lucifer, dressed in a white suite, blood red tie. He was a tall, pale-skinned man with a runner’s build, black hair that draped past his neck, and crimson eyes. And for the first time ever, I finally saw the black wings, indicating that he was making this a show. They allowed this fuck back in to personally pick me up. Did that mean my sentence was actually permanent—but no one wanted to voice it in front of Conus? The fifty-eight-year cap must be a bullshit number where they’ll pretend to consider my release. I know there’s no coming back from the depths. As if confirming my thoughts, Satan the dickhead spoke.
“Any last words you’d like to say to your delectable audience?” He bowed to them as if he ran this fucking show. I rolled my eyes.
“Here’s a parting gift to all of you, who let this happen, but including you, Lucifer. Excluding Hialacus and the Valkyrie princess,” I said aloud, then flipped them all off. Lucifer burst into laughter.
“Teemie, now,” I said, softly. All hell broke loose.
Chapter Forty-two
Every chain bound to my wrists melted into dust, as Teemie manifested in full glory. A warm and tingling sensation made its way through my veins, indicating that my powers were back. She held up a hand. A sphere of light appeared over it. A half-second later, it began to repeatedly launch huge bursts of white energy in random places, at two second intervals. These weren’t ordinary bursts of power—the dream angel wasn’t known to be a slouch.
So, the earthquakes that occurred came as no surprise—thus the crowd scattered in panic, just as I wanted, though Conus and the house as well as Lucifer remained frozen, shocked that I didn’t plan to follow along with their shenanigans. Dipshits. They looked to
be in awe, utter shock, at the sight of the legendary dream angel—one who rarely appeared outside of the dream world. In fact, she’s one of the thirteen wonders of existence itself. No one really knew of her origin.
Note to self, ask.
I bet questions of how I swayed her to my cause cycled through their heads. And believe me, she told me there was a price to pay for her help. Just not what it is and when will I pay.
“Let’s go. Amelia’s expecting us back in the human world,” Teemie said to me. I followed her in a heavy sprint without looking back. We needed to get out of here—ascending was only authorized for the higher-ups in the arena.
Angels chased and nearly cornered us but the fairy created a second death sphere which shot beams at all six of them. The force of the impacts bashed them at least a hundred yards away. Damn!
The second we made it out of the coliseum, a familiar figure blocked our path. One of my brothers. Tackiron, sixth son of Conus, though we called him Tack for short. Shit. He was two years older than me, tall, lean, with short black hair and golden eyes. He sported a tan shirt, black pants, and tan combat boots. His golden wings shined like the sun but also indicated that he had no intention of letting me pass. I mean, he did have them out, right? Gods don’t show their wings unless they need the full power to do battle. Wings stored their reserves. Despite our ages not being far apart, Tack and I were never close. He was too much of a tool for the stepmother. Douchebag.
“Careful now, Epex,” Tack said, smug look on his face, “you’ll miss your ride back to Hell.”
“So, you’re going to get in my way,” I said, taking a fighting stance. Tack chuckled.
“A demigod, believing in himself to be more than half a sheep, that’s rich.” Tack mimicked my stance. “You never deserved the title of successor. It infuriates me to think that Father passed over all of us for the likes of you. Scum who cannot even show the slightest bit of loyalty to his own homeland.”
Hell to Pay (Blood for Soul Book 1) Page 19
