"No, I can't. However, laws are laws. You know that."
"What did that seraph bastard do to him? He's been torturing him, hasn't he?"
Oviel spread out his wings to further block him from leaving. "Yes, and if Jeremiah has his way, Jaylen will be executed at nightfall."
Zeriel's eyes narrowed in determination and rage. "Over Sola's dead body."
Chapter 3
The white sheet was wrapped around Jaylen's body and covered his head to hang down over his eyes. His arms were bound behind his back and his mouth was once again filled with a gag. He stayed on his knees in the soft dirt in front of the entire military camp where Jeremiah had placed him after dragging him out of the tent. Bleak nothingness and confusing floods of questions berated his mind at the same time. Every inch of Jaylen's body ached, but the worst was the wound from Carvael's Heavenly sword that should have killed him. He knew he should have been dead. The giant sword had gone all the way through his body. But then again, how did Carvael survive a similar injury?
None of that mattered now as Jaylen stared down at the mud. He could feel all the soldiers' eyes on him, judging him and condemning him. He never wanted this. He never wanted to hurt anyone. They all hated him . . . and he did not blame them. If anything, Jaylen believed he deserved this for killing Nimiel. Then to his complete terror and growing misery, Finalis's voice entered his mind.
"Hey, buddy."
Jaylen ignored him.
"Jaylen, you aren't mad at me, are you? You did well back there in Calchedona, by the way. You really showed Nimiel who was stronger. We are. We will always be the strongest ones. You know why? Because we are going to destroy the universe. We will wipe it all away . . . wipe everything clean as fresh snow. Doesn't that sound nice? Peaceful. Without anything left alive, we will never hurt again. No one can harm us like these brutes who refuse to listen to you. Just think of it, Jaylen. It will be glorious and pristine, brought back to the way it was before Sola and her angels wrecked the place."
"Why won't you leave me alone?" Jaylen asked inside his mind, struggling to separate reality from his delusions. "Can't you see they are going to kill me because of what you've been doing to me? You're not the one being tortured for your actions. I am."
"We are. Don't forget that I am you, silly boy. We are one. Two halves of the same soul. Bound together forever. You can never get rid of me, Jaybird."
"Don't call me that."
"Awe, but you look so cute, just like a flittering blue jay. That's where your mother got that nickname for you from, isn't it? There was always a blue jay that would perch on the front windowsill when she baked you cinnamon buns early in the mornings after your father got done abusing you. It was her way of apologizing for not stopping it. But Divinus had possessed her and he was quite a good influence. Besides, she was more afraid of what Doran would have done to her if she tried to take you away from him. Your greedy mother was perfectly content with sacrificing her only son to keep herself from her lover's wrath. She even told you that one morning while she was holding a rag to your bloody nose that your father gave you, didn't she? She told you that she would help you if she could, but that you would have to be her little protector. She said if you loved her, you would keep going to his bed so he could touch you and punch you in his drunken rage."
Jaylen felt the hot tears force themselves into his eyes. "Shut up."
"That's no way to speak to yourself. I can't shut up. Know why? Go ahead and guess. I'm waiting."
"Because you are me."
"And we have a winner." Finalis giggled. "You're getting good at this game, Jaylen. Oh, dear. That pesky blond seraph is talking now. I guess you'd better pay attention to him. I'll talk to you later, best buddy."
Jeremiah held out his arms as he addressed the lines of soldiers and angels as well as Jaylen himself. "Jaylen Corrifus, Finalis, Angel of Darkness, whatever name you choose to go by, you are hereby sentenced to death for the crime of high treason against Vilyron. Scout Commander Nimiel's blood is on your hands You will now pay for that crime with your life by being burned alive. Take him to the pyre."
"Stop right there. No one is taking Jaylen anywhere." Zeriel emerged from the tent, followed by Oviel. He stormed up to Jeremiah and attempted to block him and the soldiers from reaching the boy. "Jaylen is innocent."
The seraph's hazel eyes brimmed with tears as he shouted at him. "He killed Nimiel!"
"Were you there?" Zeriel asked. "Were you on the battlefield in that wheat field or on the top of that canyon? I was there. Nimiel attacked Jaylen first. It was self defense. If you want to play this that way, then we can throw battlefield combat and wartime laws away because apparently, they don't matter. They were both engaged in mutual fighting that only one of them started. Jaylen fought to defend himself."
"But-"
Zeriel interrupted him curtly. "No."
"He's more than fifteen years old and a grown man who knew the consequences of his actions."
"I don't care how old he is. Look at him. He's a boy who is being controlled by a part of his soul that is messing with his mind. Jaylen is a loving and innocent child."
"A child?" Jeremiah scoffed in frustration. "How can you stand there and continue to define him as being a child? In what world is an eighteen-year-old man who has been married ever considered a child?"
"In my world where I know him and I know how he thinks. Jaylen is not mentally an adult yet. He was subjected to severe abuse and trauma in his childhood that prevented him from developing like he should. I, for one, see that as not being his fault. I do not blame the victim here. Neither should you."
"A victim? You see that monster as a victim?" Jeremiah pointed Jaylen who was visibly trembling underneath the sheet. "Jaylen Corrifus is a plague on Aldexa that needs to be eradicated before more people are hurt."
"If you feel that way, then let him speak for himself. Remove that gag and let's hear what he has to say."
"Never. I will not permit heathens and apostates to spit their vile lies and corrupt my soldiers. We are holier than that."
"Holier?" Zeriel asked, his anger sparking to life in his hauntingly white eyes. "What is so holy about torturing an already injured boy who is struggling with mental issues? He doesn't understand what is happening to himself. Do you think Jaylen asked for Finalis to take over half his mind and make him do things? Do you think he asked for all this? And you can't truly be suggesting that he wanted to kill Nimiel. Jaylen was his friend."
Jeremiah pointed to the soldiers. "Men, take the traitor to the flames and let him burn for his sins."
In a flash, Zeriel was inches away from the seraph's face with his wings outstretched and his ethereal Heavenly shotgun aimed at him. His body glistened with a glittering haze of light magic. "No one is going to lay a single finger on that boy's head."
Jeremiah's wings emerged from his back as his power surged and he held up his hands that were dripping in shadow magic. "I will kill you."
A blue playing card sped between the two of them then sliced through the canvas tent where it lodged itself into one of the tent poles behind them. Jaycob drew four more cards from his magic deck and held them out, ready to throw again. "Stop it, both of you."
Both of them turned to look at the bard with surprise written across their faces.
Jaycob glared at them. "Jeremiah, if I'm not mistaken, you haven't heard from Xair in three days. Isn't that more important than trying to kill your allies? I can't believe I'm having to break up petty fights between angels and seraphs."
Jaylen let out a quiet grunt from behind the gag at the mention of Xair. He hadn't known he was alive.
Jeremiah growled.
"Zeriel is not only an angel." Oviel said as he stepped up to join Jaycob's side. "He is the angelic scion, Prince of Heaven."
Upon hearing this, all of the angels immediately dropped to their knees, spread out their wings in reverence, and placed their fists over their hearts. Even Brinx joined them with the tiny baby
Cael in her arms. The human soldiers looked around in confusion as they began whispering between each other.
Jaycob shuffled his purple-backed cards together as he eyed the two men who continued to trade evil looks with each other on either side of Jaylen. "It seems to me like you're outranked here, Jeremiah. Face the facts. We need Finalis on our side. Now that Carvael has ripped The Rift open, there is no way to know what kind of creatures and demons he has under his command. Like you said yourself, no one in Eternal Eclipse even knows that Finalis is still alive. Now we have Zeriel in his full scion form with untold powers that will be useful against them. I'm not saying we give Jaylen full freedoms like he had before or even any sort of authority, but we should not throw away this weapon."
Jeremiah's glowing wings and purple halo faded as he lowered his fists. "Fine. But I'm only doing this because I need to find out where Xair is."
"This is your one warning." Zeriel tossed his Heavenly shotgun into the air where it vanished. "I am your superior now, Jeremiah. According to the scriptures, I have the full authority to kill you for insubordination. If you spare Jaylen's life, I will spare yours. A life for a life. Make your choice."
Without another word, Jeremiah stormed off into his command tent. After a few seconds, crashing, shouting, and swearing came from inside as the seraph threw a fit over his lack of power and humiliation in front of the entire camp. The soldiers were obviously still confused, but the angels had stood up again and were frantically asking anyone they could for answers.
Zeriel knelt down in front of the bound boy on his knees then lifted up the white sheet to see Jaylen's weary bloodshot eyes that were puffy and swollen from crying. Bruises and pinpricks covered his cheeks where the needle whip had hit him multiple times. His lips were pale and chapped from dehydration and were bleeding from the gag being so tied so tightly. He untied it then gently wiped the blood away on the rag. Zeriel took him in his arms then helped him stand. As he held the trembling boy and sheltered him from everyone else with his large white wings, Zeriel buried his nose in the blond messy hair and breathed in Jaylen's scent. "It's going to be all right, Jaybird. I will never allow anyone to harm you ever again. I have the power to protect you now, and I will do so with my life."
Jaycob cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt this romantic reunion, but we should all get back to work. You should take Jaylen to the healers before he passes out."
The angel blushed. "Romantic? This isn't-"
"Stop trying to conceal it. Everyone knows you love the kid. No one cares. Now, get going. I have to go help Dusty."
Zeriel opened his mouth to voice his opposition to the allegations, but he instead gave up. "You know what? Yes. I love him. Get over it." He picked Jaylen up in his arms then flew towards the healers' tent.
* * *
Day 8: Dusk
Eternal Eclipse Dragon Hatchery, Sola Temple Ruins, Urani Mountains, Northern Vilyron
Vilyron Arcane Research Party
The bronze war hammer sped towards Xair's face, but he quickly held up his hands in an attempt to block it. That attempt proved futile. He cried out as the impact cracked against his bones and his wrists. His vision flashed red with the pain, but he managed to tuck his leathery purple wings under his body and roll out of the way just as the blood-stained hammer slammed into the dust-kissed marble floor where he had just been. Breathing heavily and gritting his teeth, Xair reached out to push himself up from the floor, but his shattered hands simply gave out, sending him back to the white marble. Looking up through his white bangs, he watched as the elves surrounded him like sharks ready to consume their next meal.
The elves jumped out of the alcoves and busted windows that lined the curved walls where sloping polished buttresses held up tarnished copper sun sigil sculptures. Cracks had long ago developed in the ceilings, letting melted snow and rainwater drip down the walls and collect in growing puddles in the corners. Cobwebs slowly billowed in the drafty corridors and starving rats darted in and out of the molded wooden benches along the hallowed sanctums where no worshipers had set foot in four hundred years.
Xair's midnight black skin was slicked with sweat from running away through the twisting dilapidated archways of the crumbling temple that used to be one of the temples to Sola far up in the remote mountains of northern Vilyron. He had come here to investigate the rumors of a dragon hatchery in this area that Eternal Eclipse had been using after they forcefully mated then slaughtered many of the dragons they were holding captive. Every other member of the arcane research party that came to accompany him had been butchered during the chase after the elves ambushed them in the inner hallways of the ancient temple. Xair had fought with his magic staff at that point and knew that he was not as strong as he had been, but he did not expect it to simply vanish then leave him with nothing.
Growing desperate, Xair cried out to Sola, but he was not answered. Why couldn't he summon his magic? Neither his druidic powers nor his seraph ones were working. No matter how much he exhausted himself, he could summon nothing. Then it hit him. He could not remember the last time he ate any mana or the last time he actually slept. His body was weak, so his magic would remain dormant.
The elves drew closer with their curved daggers and spiked gloves at the ready to fight. Once it was obvious that Xair had no fight left in him, they grabbed his arms and waist and stood him to his feet. The grey-skinned elves stripped Xair's tattered purple silk robe from his shoulders and his wool pants, leaving him shivering in only his tight leather subligar. They moved in closer, running their razor-sharp claws over his skin and whispering to each other about the shimmering purple scales that covered his groin and thighs. Xair remembered his training as a young Ka'taylin boy and remained perfectly still, despite their probing. If he was going to survive this ordeal, he would need to remain focused, calm, and stoic. He watched their lightly glowing yellow eyes as they talked about what they were going to do with him. Once a tall elf with waist-length black hair and a cocky grin on his face entered the temple, Xair knew his life was over. Sulstair the necromancer.
"Oh my. Isn't this a surprise? Well now, I was not expecting to catch a seraph in my little dragon trap, much less a half dragon one." Sulstair took Xair's chin in his bony fingers and forced his head up to look at him. "Such lovely purple eyes you have, my dear Ka'taylin friend. Won't it be sad when I pluck them out of your skull . . . just like those anarchists did a thousand years ago to your beloved wife? Those pretty eyes of hers gave me enough power to finish that pesky little spell I was working on."
Xair gasped in horror. Sulstair was the one who sent those men to kidnap Amari from his palace then rip her apart? In a sudden impulse of defiance, Xair spit in the elf's face. His actions were immediately punished by a powerful punch to his face and a knee in his groin. Even the layer of scales couldn't defend him from the impact. His breath escaped him as he crumpled to his knees in a writhing mess of gasping and groaning. He vomited from the shock and severe pain that spread over his body like a devastating flood.
Sulstair only laughed at his suffering. "So your reborn body is completely void of all scars and marks from your life before, I see. Which also means that the alterations made to your body through that cutting and burning as an infant are no longer there. Did you ever stop to think that maybe that Ka'taylin cutting ritual served a purpose other than aesthetics? It made your sensitive areas less prone to trauma like this by compacting them so they could not be so easily injured. But I suppose a race as great as the Ka'taylins would never need to know the ritual's true purpose because no one can defeat a Ka'taylin, right?"
Xair had been reduced to tears as he cradled his knees to his chest in the fetal position. His hands were swollen and obviously broken in multiple places as the swelling became inflamed and red from his fingertips to the base of his wrists. He could not feel the pain anymore. It was a heavy throbbing numbness that radiated up his arms to his elbows. The only pain he felt was the one between his legs, and that was overwhelmin
g. Xair didn't have time to think about what Sulstair had said before he was brutally forced to his feet by elves.
Sulstair continued his taunting speech, dragging his claws through Xair's short white hair. "It's amazing to me that someone as old as you are has never felt this pain before. But it will all be all right, dearest Xair. I will take care of you and open your eyes to so many other types of pain you are unaccustomed to. We will awaken every vein, every muscle, every pore to all the delicious agony you have been missing. Plus, you have these lovely wings now that I'm sure are quite a sensitive area as well. We wouldn't want to neglect them, would we?" He snapped his fingers, bringing the elves to Xair where they bound him further in the leather straps until he was completely immobilized. "And I will find that seraph key of yours even if I have to skin every inch of your body with my teeth. I know it's there somewhere, and I will have it."
Chapter 4
Day 9: Morning
Sola Temple Ruins, Urani Mountains, Northern Vilyron
Dragon Knight Division One: Karixlesminatim and Liam Ulverin
The dragon's large black wings flapped quietly, propelling them through the air over the Urani Mountains in northern Vilyron where they were searching for any signs of Xair and the scouts that had gone with him to accompany on the mission. There had been one letter sent by a snowy owl to Jeremiah, letting him know that Xair arrived at the location. But after that, three days had gone by with nothing. "Liam, you've been terribly quiet today. Are you sick again?"
The tiny teenage boy with the messy mop of brown curls that hung down in his emerald eyes held his grey cloak around his body to shield himself from the bite of the icy winds. Even his normally warm dragonwing armor was not thick enough to keep him warm this high up in the snowy mountain atmosphere. He did his best to ignore the dragon, but then Karix began speaking to him telepathically.
Liam, what's wrong?
I know.
You know what?
You killed me. You tortured me to death then drowned me, just like those paladins did after I stole the book. There's no hidin' it from me. I remember everythin'.
Angel of Darkness Books 6-10 Page 55
