by S. J. West
I gasp after hearing this tidbit of news. It’s the same exact deal Alred made with Az. Why would Levi promise them all the same thing? Probably because he knew the rebellion angels would never know about Azrael’s escape or where he was staying. I wish I could tell Piers that he’s being played for a fool, but I can’t because of my promise to Az.
“I never took you for being so gullible,” Jered says scathingly. “Levi will never share his spoils of war with you or any other rebellion angel. He’s too greedy for that. He’ll use you, then kill you, and keep everything for himself. You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t enslave you all.”
“You’ve always been such a drama queen, Jered.” Piers rolls his eyes in exasperation. “Get over yourself. Besides, don’t you have more important things to do? That girl is making plenty of red snow to construct a bloody snowman out of.”
“We need to go, Dad,” Silas whispers urgently as he steadily keeps his hand on my wound and holds me up so I don’t fall to the ground.
Without saying goodbye to Piers, Jered phases us but not back to the academy. Instead, we end up in his home in Cirrus territory on Earth. It’s the same house where Silas and I spent a peaceful evening watching the snow fall.
“Help me take her coat off,” Jered says to Silas as they both hurriedly remove the padded garment to examine my wound more closely.
“Why are we here?” Silas asks, looking around the room. “Why didn’t we go straight to Desmond?”
“I couldn’t risk leaving a phase trail to Laed-i for Piers to follow. I can bring Desmond here if it looks like the injury can’t be healed by a healing wand.”
Once my coat is removed, the looks on both of their faces tell me that Jered will be phasing to Laed-i.
“Is it that bad?” I ask them, feeling too weak to look at the wound myself. I can barely keep my eyes open.
Jered phases but returns almost immediately with a bath towel.
“Use this and apply pressure to the wound,” he instructs Silas. “I’m going to get Desmond.”
Jered phases and Silas sits down beside me to follow his father’s directions. When he presses the towel against my side, I gasp in pain before gritting my teeth. I feel on the verge of passing out.
“One night,” Silas says, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and despair. “All I wanted was for us to have one night when all we had to think about was each other and this happens.”
I slide my hand over the cushion of the couch until it rests on his thigh. “Things won’t always be like this. Once the war is over—”
“You mean the war that we won’t be able to win?” Silas scoffs. “You heard Piers. The rebellion angels are siding with Levi. Can you imagine the universe in the hands of those monsters? This may end up being a world that we don’t want to live in anymore.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t give up hope.” His misery is breaking my heart. I want to tell him that Az might still help us. I don’t want him to feel like Levi has already won.
Jered and Desmond phase in and Silas leaves my side to give our resident physician room to examine me.
“I heard a hellhound thought you were a toy,” Desmond jokes as he sits beside me. “Let’s see how much damage he did.” After he removes the towel, his facial expression gives nothing away. “I need to get her back to the infirmary. I’m going to need more than I brought with me.”
“Take them both back there,” Jered says. “I’ll stay here until your phase trail disappears.”
When Desmond cradles me in his arms, the pain is too much for me to push through, and I pass out.
Lux visits me in my dreams. I know it’s not her. It’s merely a manifestation of my desire to have her with me for comfort in my time of need. All my life, she was the one I could count on to stay by my side and always have my back. If she had been with us on that cliff, Lux would have warned me about the hellhound and possibly protected me from it too.
When I wake up, I’m surprised to see Cal near my bedside sitting in a chair next to Silas. They’re quietly talking to one another about Caleb, of all people.
“What did Caleb do when he learned what happened to Lora?” Cal asks.
“He asked if he could see her.” Silas leans back in his chair. “Thankfully, my dad was with me at the time and told him he would need to wait until she was better. I’m sure if I had said it, he would have started an argument, but . . . I don’t know. He was weird.”
Cal looks confused but also concerned. “Weird in what way?”
“He . . .” Silas seems to be struggling to find the right words. “His face was practically emotionless but his eyes looked like they could kill with just one look. I don’t know, man. Just weirder than usual.”
“He’s gone through a lot with Rose’s death and the baby’s . . .” Cal has to swallow before finishing. “The baby’s abduction.” Cal takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Do you know he’s almost twelve years old in the Void now? My mind is having a really hard time wrapping itself around that concept. I don’t even know what my own son’s name ended up being. How am I ever going to face Rose when I go to Heaven?”
“Has anyone told her about the baby yet?”
Cal shakes his head. “No. I asked Anna and Lilith not to mention it to her. There’s no reason to upset her over something neither of us can control.”
“True.”
The boys fall silent and I feel like it’s a good time to let them know I’m awake. I’m not much for eavesdropping. It’s just as bad as lying, if not worse.
“What day is it?” I ask them. My voice sounds dry, like I haven’t had any water in a week.
They both whip their heads up to look at me, looking relieved to see me awake.
“It’s Wednesday,” Silas says, immediately standing from his chair to come sit on my bedside. “You’ve been asleep for a while. Do you want some water?”
I nod and try to sit up but find the movement nearly impossible to make on my own. Silas notices me struggling and abandons his job of pouring me a glass of water to prop some pillows behind my back.
“How do you feel?” Cal asks as he walks over to the other side of my bed.
“Groggy. I think I slept too much.”
“Your body needed the rest.” Cal folds his arms in front of him. “It took me a while to heal you. That hellhound did a real number on your insides.”
“I thought Desmond was going to work on me the old-fashioned way.”
“Oh, he did to a certain extent, but when I heard about what happened, I had my dad bring me over to heal what was left. They should have done that in the first place.”
“They probably didn’t want to bother you.” I don’t mention the baby. Cal knows what I mean without me having to say it.
“Probably,” he agrees. “But that’s no excuse. Besides, thinking about someone else helped snap me out of my own troubles.”
“Ahh . . .” I hear Desmond say as he walks out of his office at the other end of the infirmary. “I see our patient is finally awake.” Cal moves out of the way so Desmond can examine me. He takes my wrist and places his fingers across the veins while looking at the watch on his wrist. “How are you feeling?”
“Sleepy, but otherwise fine.”
Desmond looks into my eyes one at a time. “Your pupils aren’t dilated anymore, so that’s a good sign. Anything hurting? Are you feeling dizzy at all?”
“No. Just sleepy, like I said.”
“Are you hungry? We’ve been feeding you through the IV in your arm, but real food would do you a world of good.”
“I could eat.”
“I’ll go get you something from the cafeteria.” Silas hands me my glass of water before dashing out the door. I wanted him to stay by my side, but maybe he feels the need to actively do something for me.
“When can I leave this bed?” I don’t want to stay in the infirmary all day. We still have training to do. I’ve already lost a day of my life because of that stupid hellhound. I don’t wa
nt to lose another one.
“After you eat a good meal and prove that you can keep it down, you can leave,” Desmond says. “I’m not sure you were aware of this, but your injuries included a few holes in your stomach. Between me and Cal, everything should be healed, but eating something will be the real test.”
“I’m glad I didn’t look at my injuries because that just sounds gross.”
Desmond laughs. “It wasn’t a pleasant sight. You were smart not to look, lass.”
“What did I miss while I was passed out?”
“Nothing really,” Desmond scratches his head while he thinks. “Malcolm and Gideon have been training the students in Warrior Hall, so it’s been pretty quiet here.”
“I assume Jered told you what Piers said to him about Levi’s deal with the rebellion angels?” My question reminds me that I should speak with Az as soon as possible. He needs to know that Levi has been using control over the living world as a bargaining chip with not only him.
“Yes. I’m aware of the situation.” Desmond looks troubled. “I can’t say I’m surprised, but I was also hoping we would have more time to deal with what’s left of the rebellion angels.”
“What do you mean?” I ask. “How were you planning to deal with them?”
“Will used to be a member of their faction of angels. We were hoping he would be able to bring them all together and show them a better way to live. Some of them joined our side, but there are still a lot more out there who are too stubborn for their own good and want to stick to their old ways. It sounds like Levi is playing into their narcissistic tendencies and offering them everything they’ve ever wanted if they help turn him into a god.”
“But the real God wouldn’t let him take Heaven over, would He?” Cal asks. He seems as perplexed as I am about what it would take to conquer Heaven.
“My Father has a very strange set of ethics when it comes to changing the course of fate. He’ll only guide it, not control it.”
“Are you saying God’s power isn’t absolute?” Cal asks.
“I’m saying He doesn’t believe in ruling anyone’s life. It’s the reason He gave us all free will. We’re supposed to be the masters of our own fate, not rely on Him to tell us where to go and what to do.”
“He won’t actually let Levi rule Heaven though, will He?” I ask.
“I don’t have an answer to that question, lass. I hope not, but like I said, He rarely interferes directly. He didn’t do much in the last Heavenly war. I’m not sure He’ll do anything in this one either.”
I hate to tell Desmond that what he said doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I don’t want to get into an argument about God’s laissez-faire attitude either.
Silas walks back into the infirmary but he isn’t the one carrying my tray of food. Az strolls through the doorway in front of Silas with my food in his hands. I’m surprised to see him and even more surprised that Silas is letting him see me.
“I hope you’re hungry for pancakes,” Az says. “Silas practically built you a tower of them.”
After he lays the tray of food on my lap, both Cal and Desmond make quick excuses to leave the room.
“I heard you were accosted by a hellhound.” Az takes a seat on the side of my bed while Silas comes to stand next to me and holds one of my hands with his.
“You could say that,” I say. “Apparently, it mistook me for a toy and ripped a few holes in my stomach.”
Az grimaces. “That sounds horrible. No wonder you slept so long after such an injury.”
“Has anyone told you about the rebellion angel who was controlling the hellhound?”
When I see Az’s eyes dart between me and Silas with confusion, I have my answer.
“Rebellion angel?” Az asks. “Did he order the hellhound to attack you?”
“Yes,” Silas says. “He was in control of it so he had to have given the order.”
“Abaddon gave him the hellhound as a gift from Levi,” I say. “Levi has promised to give the living world to the rebellion angels if they help him win the war.”
Az’s eyebrows arch, clearly surprised by this bit of news. “I had no idea he was that duplicitous.”
“You can’t trust a thing Levi promises you.” I make sure to emphasize the last part so Az understands what I’m saying. “He’ll do or say whatever is necessary to get what he wants.”
“I see.” Az’s eyes narrow in understanding. He stands from his spot on my bed. “If the two of you will excuse me, I need to be going. I have a very important errand to run.”
“What kind of errand?” His excuse sounds flimsy. If Silas wasn’t here, I’m sure Az would tell me where he’s going and what he’s about to do.
“Nothing for the two of you to worry about.”
He tries to smile reassuringly, but it doesn’t quite make it past the grimace stage.
“People to see and all that,” Az says as he backs away from my bed. “I’ll come by later to check on your progress.”
He’s out the door before I can tell him I don’t intend to stay in this bed for longer than I’m forced to. Desmond said that as long as I can keep my breakfast down, I can go.
“Is it just me,” Silas says before pulling his chair close to my bed and sitting down, “or has he been acting stranger than usual lately? Something is off with him. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he’s a different person.”
“Ha!” My reaction is automatic. Silas is so close to the truth. I wish I could tell him that his suspicions are correct.
“You’ve noticed it too, right?”
“Yeah. He’s been a completely different person since the funeral.” Finally, the truth. Simply not a detailed version of it.
I begin to cut through my stack of six buttery pancakes. Silas becomes quiet. Too quiet.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him as I stab my triangled portion of pancakes and stuff them in my mouth.
“I think the reality of Levi coming just hit me.” He sits back in his chair, and I literally watch as the weight of what we’re going to be fighting against lands on his shoulders. “How are we going to win? I guess in the back of my mind I assumed God would intervene if things got too rough, but what if He doesn’t?”
I chew on the food in my mouth as I think over what Silas’s questions. I don’t want to give him false hope, but maybe some form of encouragement is better than none at all.
I swallow before I speak. “I think God doesn’t have to do anything directly. I think He works in the background coordinating His pieces until He has a winning scenario. It’s a bit like chess. You move your pieces into position anticipating what your opponent will do. If you’re smart and have things set into place exactly when they need to be there, you’ll win.”
“Do you think that’s what he’s doing? Moving all of us around so we have the best advantage of winning?”
“That’s my guess. I’m not going to sit here and pretend I know the way God thinks, but He doesn’t strike me as someone who simply sits back and lets things happen. I think He anticipates what will be and either makes sure it comes to pass or does something to alter it. He may not want to use His powers to destroy our enemies, but I do think He wants us to succeed. He’ll do what He believes is right to help us win. You need to believe in Him, Silas. I do.”
“I’ll do my best,” he promises. “Now eat your food so Desmond will let you get out of here. We still have a date to finish after training.”
“Do you think we can stick around the academy this time? I would feel safer.”
“Yes. We can do that. I think I would feel safer too.”
“I hope your dad doesn’t feel guilty about last night. There was no way he could have known the rebellion angels were monitoring phasing activity on Earth. Does he know why they’re doing that?”
“He thinks they’re waiting on a signal from Levi. He would have to give them a heads-up about when and where to meet once the war starts. It seems like the most logical explanation.”
&
nbsp; “It makes sense.”
Jered walks into the infirmary. I instantly stop eating when I see the expression on his face. It’s a mixture of confusion and utter shock.
I set my fork back on my plate. “What’s wrong, Jered? What’s happened?”
“I . . .” He shakes his head as his gaze darts around while the wheels of his mind try to sort something out. “I’ve seen something that I can’t explain.”
“What did you see?” Silas asks.
“I think . . . I think I just saw Caleb phase to the Black Castle in the Void, but I’m not sure how that’s possible.”
“I do,” I blurt out before my internal sensor can stop me.
I don’t see how I can keep my secret any longer. I’ll be breaking my promise to Az, but it’s his actions that have precipitated this eventuality. Jered would probably figure it out anyway. I’ll simply be filling in the blanks for him a little faster
“Caleb isn’t Caleb anymore, not really,” I say, watching both men look at me funny. I can’t blame them. I would look at me funny too. “He’s Azrael.”
“Azrael?” Jered looks like I just slapped him in the face with my revelation.
“That explains why he’s been acting so strange,” Silas says, finally having the answer to why Caleb hasn’t been acting like Caleb. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell us this before now? How did Azrael get inside his body?”
“You both might want to sit down for this,” I say. “It’s a bit of a long story.”
It takes me a few minutes to explain everything, but after I do, pieces that didn’t quite fit into place about Caleb’s strange behavior since the night of the wedding suddenly do.
“So, you’re saying that Caleb is trapped inside his own body and Azrael has complete control of it?” Jered asks.
“Yes. That’s the gist of it.”
“And he wants you,” Silas says, “to be humanities champion?”
“Yes.” The weight of responsibility for such a title is heavy, but it does feel good to finally be able to tell them everything I’ve been keeping bottled up for the last few days.
