The Thrice Marked

by Liddie Cain

  I was up and running to him as his body convulsed on the floor. Conall got in my path and grabbed me around the waist as I tried to run around him. “Roz, don’t be foolish. You are a human and Felix is not.”

  I let him hold me there but yelled out loud, gripping my hands into his arm. “Uncle Raguel! Please!” I screamed. Conall loosened his hold, thinking that I had come to my senses. And I had, just not the way he imagined.

  Raguel couldn’t harm a human. There were exceptions, moments of extreme circumstances where it was necessary to save another innocent human life. But there was a failsafe built in to angelic powers that kept them from harming a human unless you overrode it with very specific intent. I couldn’t watch Felix lay there and suffer.

  I ran. Conall’s hand skimmed down my back as he tried to grab for me, but he had been looking away and I got just beyond his grasp before he reacted. He was faster than me if he decided to chase me. It shouldn’t have worked. I was too human, too slow. But the room flew by me like I had been propelled forward. Had Conall done that?

  Felix yelled in frustration and pain, electric arcs still biting up his skin. I went down on the side of my leg like I was sliding into third base, skimming across the floor with my arms out to grab him. I could still see that current flowing across him with no way to stop my momentum. All I could do was brace for the pain.

  I slid into Felix’s chest and draped myself across him with my eyes tightly closed. His skin was just skin. His breathing was fast and ragged, his heart raced under my ear, but there was no more lightning tormenting him. He pulled me up with him as he sat up and Raguel landed beside us.

  “I felt that your love abides by him still, but he will feel my wrath for destroying the lives of my family because he couldn’t keep his hands off of someone,” he said with a tight voice. “You could have been hurt. You frightened me.”

  “I meant to so you would stop,”

  He looked at Felix’s face. “You deserve more for what you did.”

  “Yes,” he replied, his voice rough from pain.

  “He punished himself, Uncle. He shut himself out of heaven forever!” I stood as I yelled, getting in between the two of them. My human body was just as tall as Raguel I realized when I got to my feet. He had always seemed so tall and opposing before. He looked stunned that I was getting in his face. That bit of back bone I had gained from Evelyn would be new to my uncle.

  Felix got to his feet behind me and took my wrist into his big hand. “Roz, baby. I hurt his sister and his niece. He needs to punch me if he’s gonna work with me.”

  “What?” I couldn’t quite keep the shrill tone out of my voice.

  “Or what amounts to being punched for two immortal beings I guess. He’s angry. I deserve the anger, and I can take a hit to take the pressure off so we can focus on saving your parents.”

  Him mentioning the heavenly parents reminded me that my human parents were in the room. I looked at them, my expression a little lost, which was all Dad needed to see before he boldly walked over to get his little girl out from between the angel and archdemon fight.

  “I don’t want him to hurt Felix,” I said to Dad as Felix passed me to him.

  “I think he would need a bigger army to harm Felix. Or two armies,” Dad replied, dragging me away from them. I saw Raguel lift his sword above his head again and stopped, burying my face into my dad’s chest so I wouldn’t have to watch it again.

  “Stop! It wasn’t his fault,” Maeve suddenly spoke up.

  All eyes turned to her. She sighed, glancing at Conall. “I would appreciate some mercy if I tell you this because it will surely mean my death if word gets back to the person behind it.”

  “Tell us what you know, then we’ll talk,” he replied.

  I looked at Felix in question, but he just shrugged. He didn’t know what she was talking about either. Maeve stood there, hands bound behind her back and messy hair, but boldly looking at Raguel’s face.

  “Felix, when he was Cyrus, had a similar enchantment used on him when his sweetheart and sister caught him with me. It wasn’t him.”

  I felt hollow and knew it was a glimpse of what Felix was feeling but too overwhelmed to shield from me.

  Maeve continued, “His only flaw was a wandering eye and a predisposition for non-monogamy. Devina found a way to exploit it so she would have her fallen angel. She gave me the spell that was tailored for him and the power to cast it and instructions for the girls to catch us. She knew he would make the deal to save Roz. Was supposed to be simple, Felix was supposed to overhear Roz and Devina talking about the deal then make one for her to leave Roz out of it and in exchange for him being her general. But Roz was going to say no, then it got a lot bigger when the sister got involved. Three fallen angels was going to be impossible to cover up instead of just one.”

  “How did you get involved?” Aurnia asked.

  But it was Conall that responded, “Maeve had already sold her soul to try and take over the Unseelie Crown. Obviously, this did not work, Devina’s powers are not greater than my own. She’s been Devina’s henchwoman for many years. When she couldn’t make her Queen, she made her a spoiled pet in the lower realm.”

  “Why tell us? Why betray her?” I asked.

  She sighed again, pausing for a moment before responding. “I sold my soul to gain the crown, but not to kill Conall. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just wanted Conall and a better station in life. She promised me no one would get hurt before we started the plan with Felix, but she lied. I’m not a good person, I know that. But I’m not the kind of person who wants to hurt a bunch of people to get what I want. All that’s happened is people getting hurt with nothing to show for it.”

  As she spoke, Darby had been walking closer to me. Tears shimmered in her eyes to reflect my own. I struggled between the compulsion to thank Maeve for telling us and cursing her for taking a part in Devina’s plan for her own gain. She had known what it would mean for Felix, for all of us. I finally just gave her a short nod before Darby and I both rushed to Felix.

  He took the impact of both of us in stride, one strong arm around both of our backs. We held tight to each other. All those lost years pressed down onto us. Guilt for doubting him brought a fresh wave of tears to my eyes until he pulled back and cupped my face in his hands. “Don’t sit there crying over being mad at me like I was innocent. I wasn’t. The idea to make the bad decision was already there. Devina just helped me act on it.”

  “I know, I know,” I said with a shaky voice. “But it would have been different on your own terms.”

  “Maybe,” he replied, “but no use fixating on it now.”

  I nodded, mopping at my face. “Okay. Let’s go break our parents free.”

  Raguel laid his hand on Felix’s shoulder. “I would still feel better if I got to put some hurt on someone else, so yes, let’s go get my sister free.”

  Drest and Barden walked up to us and Drest said, “I think we can save some time by Felix or Raguel going with me to do some scouting, then let Barden know when we are ready for everyone else.”

  “I’ll go,” Raguel said. “Angels are better at hiding than archdemons.”

  Felix conceded to his point and replied, “Barden and I will get weapons for everyone and be ready at your signal.”

  The room became a flurry of activity and I knew that Felix’s mind would be elsewhere for a while. So me and Darby walked over to our second set of angels, the humans that had saved us both. My parents didn’t need to be told what we needed or wanted. They simply took both of us into their arms and held us.

  The Trow sithen was not a magically sealed environment like the sithens of the courts. It was a network of caves with one main entrance that was well guarded. Trows were excellent practitioners of magic but their home was protected with the normal wards and charms that a talented human witch could also conjure.

  Drest and Raguel had been waiting for us nearby. Me, Felix and Barden met them after they had taken some time for Ragu
el to scope out everything since Drest could easily sneak him in through the wards. Getting Felix inside was going to be more tricky and Raguel would have to draw attention away while Felix attempted to break the seal.

  Once we arrived, Raguel pulled me to the said and spoke softly, “Back at the grey court, you used more than mortal speed to get to Felix when I was attacking him.”

  “Did I? I thought Conall might have given me a boost.”

  “No, it was you.”

  “I’m not sure what that means.”

  He rubbed his hand through his beard while he studied my face. “You feel like a nephilim to me.”

  I shook my head. “I am biologically the child of Ellison and Evelyn, both of them are normal humans.”

  “Can heaven not transform human flesh?” He asked.

  “Yes, of course,” I replied, then frowned as the implications started to sink in. My lifelong ability of being able to sense auras was a common trait for any nephilim, who were children conceived by a human and an angel. The power level of a nephilim was based on how strong in power their angel parent was. But if my power was coming from my own true angelic essence, how much of it could be accessed?

  “Being a nephilim had never even occurred to me.”

  Raguel motioned for Felix to join us, telling him his theory.

  “Yes,” Felix said almost instantly. “I questioned if she was a nephilim or the child of one the moment I met her. It felt like it, but it was so subtle that I just wasn’t sure.”

  “I think she was raised as human and expects to still be one,” Raguel said.

  “But her powers have been slipping through now that she has been marked, especially since she now bears an angel mark.”

  “It is waking up that part of her brain,” Raguel responded, to which Felix nodded.

  “I’m not sure I can do any of it on purpose. Most of the time it was desperation that caused it.”

  “Your faith was always pristine. Start having some in your power and it will manifest.”

  He laid his hand against my cheek, his face showing affection. “Ready for this?”

  “Yes,” I replied. I was at least ready to get it over with.

  He nodded. “Take a moment with Felix, I’ll tell Drest we are ready to go in.”

  His wings arched high into the air as he walked away from us. It was an unconscious gesture that meant he was getting amped up at the idea of the battle ahead. Angels might not be able to take a life, but there were many skilled and proud warriors in their ranks.

  Felix folded me into his arms and the warmth of his chest. I squeezed him around the waist, tilting my face up to say quietly, “I keep on thinking that when we get this done we can go home to Mac. But it won't be that easy will it?”

  “No. Devina will know the moment Meredith knows.”

  “You’ll think of something. Or we will just bring Mac here.”

  “Lots of people you care about in that town to leave at Meredith’s mercy,” he said quietly.

  He was right. I was out of good ideas so I just let him hold me until Drest motioned us forward. We all fell silent and moved to the side entrance that he used to sneak Raguel in earlier. The roles had already been planned out. Drest, Barden and Felix would clear the hallway and the small guard room where the seal was. I was to stick close to Raguel and let him shield me going in.

  If I had time to test out if I truly did have nephilim-like powers, I could have been helpful with some of the combat they were about to face. But there wasn’t that much time. I was only here for the power boost to Barden and an emergency call out to Mac or Conall if it was needed. I still ranked as an honored guest of the Unseelie Court, which meant the Trows weren’t able to harm me without repercussions, so flashing me in front of the Trow king if things went squirrely might also be beneficial. Once the room was cleared, Barden and Drest were to fall back to keep our exit clear while Raguel shielded me and Felix for him to break the seal.

  The twilight sky was calm. A little breeze ran its wispy fingers through my hair as Drest stirred enough power to muffle the wards at this entrance. He couldn’t keep everyone from knowing we were coming but he could at least make it confusing. When he gave a nod, Raguel tucked me up against his side and we made entry.

  ***

  Getting to the seal room was much easier than any of us had braced for. There were only a few Trow guards and they fell back once Felix dropped the human facade to his appearance and glowed in all of his fire ember skin demon glory.

  “They are probably just regrouping to come back with more, but we’ll take it for now,” Barden said. He and Drest walked back the way we came to guard our exit path. Raguel took up his post a little down the hallway from the door to the seal room. I followed Felix into the little stone walled room that Drest had described. There was a natural archway in the far wall that had been sealed off. I expected there to be runes or some kind of symbol on the seal with the side of my brain that had grown up watching sci-fi movies with my dad, but it looked like regular lava rock.

  Felix walked over and laid his hand against that black stone and said quietly, “I’m not sure I will ever forgive myself for doing this.”

  The knee-jerk response to that would’ve been things like it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t know what it meant, this was Devina’s doing and not his, or something like that. But that wasn’t who Felix was. He couldn’t take shallow words of comfort to heart. And he was right, he probably never would completely forgive himself for this. It would be a scar he carried with him for eternity now.

  “No, but we will make up for it,” I responded. His head sagged forward from the weight of that burden, but he nodded.

  “Yes. We have a lot of love to make up for. And Devina to kill.”

  A shiver slipped up my spine at his last declaration. It was the first time he had voiced it even though I knew it was going to be necessary. There was no way she would leave us in peace while we knew so many of her secrets. It was terrifying, but it was real.

  “Set them free, Felix. Let’s end this.”

  He straightened his shoulders and firmly pressed both of his palms against the black stone of the seal. I had only started to feel his power begin to stir when the hands closed over my shoulders and jerked me off my feet. Felix whirled around at the sound of my yelp.

  I could hear the sounds of Raguel still fending off other invaders in the hallway but this one must have slipped by him. He pressed me back up against him, his arm around my neck.

  “Get away from there,” the Trow told Felix.

  I met Felix’s eyes as he held up his hands and stepped to the side.

  “He has a blade next to your ribs on the right side. Fall to the left.”

  “Okay,” I replied.

  “Okay what?” the Trow holding me asked. Then Felix moved in a blur and I felt the wind off of his fist as he slammed it into the Trow’s face. I had fallen to the left onto my side and looked up to see Felix and the Trow fighting hand to hand. Felix would avoid using some of his more obvious powers in this enclosed space so I wouldn’t get caught up in it too. I heard rustling up above us. Dirt started falling from the ceiling. There was a thud, then another like someone was hitting something against the roof. Then it shattered and two goblins fell onto the ground.

  They were cat faced goblins, only around four feet tall with calico fur on their bodies, and they extended their claws before leaping onto Felix.

  “See if you can break the seal while I keep your back guarded,” Felix thought to me as he struggled with them.

  I ran over to that black stone and took the same stance that I had seen Felix take earlier. He opened the mark between us and cried out as he poured his own power through my body. My own power rose up to meet it, flowing freely between us. I could feel that it made him hesitate.

  “Do it!” I yelled. One of the goblins seemed to realize what we were trying to do and he jumped off of Felix and ran toward me. Felix had to stop fighting the Trow and leap through t
he air, grabbing the little goblin by the leg and preventing him from reaching me with his little gleaming claws.

  Then he shoved his power down my throat. It exploded instead of me, coming out of every pore on my skin. My power was dragged right on up with it. It washed back over Felix as he pushed his power harder and harder. The stone grew hot under my hands. I yelled again when it went from hot to burning my skin. I jerked my hands back and cradled my hands to my chest while watching that rock start to glow. It returned to the lava from which it was formed. The ground underneath opened up just a crack and the lava started to slowly sink back down into it.

  Felix jerked his power back to himself but took mine along with him. My knees collapsed with the sudden weakness that the power drain gave me. I managed to stay sitting up on one of my hips and watched as Felix began to scream.

  The Trow had been knocked unconscious and the little goblins were struggling to get away from where he held them both by one leg. I didn’t understand why he was screaming until my power started filtering slowly back into me. He had taken it into his own form, angelic energy into his archdemon body.

  There was too much of it to expel because he no longer had control over this kind of energy. It was building inside of him, tighter and tighter, and it would have to go somewhere. I crawled across the ground, holding out my hand and hoping that he could send it back into me.

  He lay on his stomach and yelled again, his face contorted in pain. The goblins were released and scrambled backward. I fell to my knees beside him. “What is it? I don’t understand what’s wrong!”

  He grabbed my hand but there was no answering rush of power back into me. It was in him and finding its own way out. His back bowed upward with another terrifying yell of pain ripped from his lips. Light cast down across us from behind me. He dragged a big shuddering breath in as sweat and tears rolled across his face, but he was looking into the light.