Live Like Legends (LIVING LEGEND #3)

Chapter 43

I had to hand it to Ariel as I looked up at the clear blue sky. He picked a pretty good afternoon to have his sham of a ceremony. I could see the tiny progress he was making on his update of the Divine Library. It was a ridiculous venture, but he was the kind of guy who made changes that were visually impactful. Nothing really improved from the things he wanted, the ideas he wanted to implement.

If any angels felt anything significant after my father took the power, they weren’t saying anything about it. Maybe it was better that way. I rolled up the sleeves of my button down as the sun beat down on us. My sword felt heavier at my back; it was like something was weighing on me but I couldn’t figure out what. Angels hustled around in preparation. I had begrudgingly helped this morning, but since Ariel was busy perfecting himself for what would happen in about thirty minutes, I was able to make myself scarce the rest of the time. At least I thought I had.

“You clean up nicely. You always did.” Morgan sidled up next to me, her pink dress swishing around her knees.

“What do you want?”

She scoffed, pushing her glasses further up her nose. “I’m trying to be nice. You could do the same. I’m actually surprised you aren’t.”

“What do you mean?”

Morgan grabbed her dark hair and pulled it over her shoulder. “After your girlfriend's stunt, I should have gone straight to Ariel, but I didn’t. You should be thanking me.”

I huffed out a laugh. “She scared the shit out of you. That’s why you didn’t go to Ariel; don’t twist it into you playing nice.”

She looked like she wanted to throw a tantrum and stomp her feet. “When Ariel takes over, she is going to have to play nice.”

“She doesn’t have to do anything,” I argued, peering down at her.

She started to argue back, but Natalia appeared at my side. Her dark hair was in multiple twists with gold threads interwoven throughout each one. Her lilac dress shimmered in the sunlight, contrasting nicely with her dark skin and the glitter that decorated her cheeks. “I am not interrupting, am I?”

Morgan plastered a smile onto her face. “Of course not, Ariel will be so happy you could make it.”

Natalia gave her a half-hearted smile back. “I’m sure. Can I have a moment with him, please?”

Morgan nodded, giving me one last glance before turning away to yell at one of the other angels. Natalia put herself in front of me, raising one of her well manicured eyebrows. “I will tell you that your father is anxious.”

“I would be surprised if he wasn’t.”

“He is eager to help you though, so I think the two emotions are canceling each other out.”

I pulled at my shirt collar, looking around.

She swatted my hand away. “You are doing the right thing, we all are. Have faith in your choices. Ariel has made it seem like everything you’ve done is a mistake, but I like to look at it like everything you’ve done has led you to all these people that want to help you, it’s led you to her .” Her honey eyes looked at me knowingly, then she nodded towards something over my shoulder.

I swung my head around seeing Reese and Dani walking down the aisle of marble benches. Reese matched me in a button down, but he’d left more buttons undone than normal for a formal event. His bow strap settled across his chest and he nodded towards me, letting a half-smile play at his lips. Dani ran up to me, hooking her arm through mine. She wore a dark purple dress with thick straps that didn’t hug her curves too tightly, giving her enough room to move around or run if needed.

I looked down at what was around her neck. Reese’s arrowhead sat delicately at her chest, held in place with a tiny chain. “That’s new.”

She fingered it gently, looking over at Reese and then back at me. “Natalia did it. Made it so no harm came to the arrowhead and the chain can be removed when I give it back…eventually.” She wrinkled her nose in the cutest way.

I kissed the top of her head, letting that cinnamon scent of hers waft towards my nostrils.

“The big guy is keeping his eyes wide and vigilant.” Reese pointed towards Zane, who stood silently further back near the front of The Skies.

“She can’t be here.” I heard Morgan before I saw her. She nearly flew over to us, her finger pointed at Dani, accusatory.

“Well that’s a real bummer since she’s already fucking here.” Reese rolled his eyes.

“Oh don’t start…” Morgan began but she was stopped by Ariel clearing his throat behind her.

Angels were starting to take their seats on the benches and the final touches were being finished.

Ariel sneered at me and then rested his green eyes on Dani. “Always the disturbance, aren’t you? No bother though. This is a joyous day, so why shouldn’t you be here to witness it.” He gave her a quick smile and gestured towards the benches. “Take your seats and High Priestess, I have saved you a place near the front. You and I will be working closely after today.”

“We are waiting on a few more guests,” I said, standing my ground.

“Guests? Mr. Cassial, you are not permitted to invite guests.”

Natalia laughed, the sound of it musical. “Ariel, these are not his guests. These are mine. You wouldn’t forbid the guests of the High Priestess, now would you?” She gave him an innocent expression.

Ariel looked around, noticing that some of the angels, including his fellow executives were watching our scene curiously. “No, I would never. As long as they are punctual.”

Natalia nodded, laughing softly. “Oh they are. Right on time.” She waved her hand to the side and a circle started to form to the far left. The edges were a blue mixed with a white hue, the center caving in a bit. We all stared at the portal as the light flickered.

Elise and Beetee stepped out first, followed by Garrett, Leah and my father. Axel jumped out right before the portal closed, sitting nicely next to his mother.

Ariel squinted, vibrating with anger. “I suppose if you want to bring your fellow Enchanters I cannot stop you, but I will not have unwanted demons and that disgraceful man on this lawn!”

I stepped up to him, using my hands to push him back a little. “I have no problems breaking your nose again. You do not talk about my father that way.”

Ariel snickered. “Guards! Take him and his father away. Gather up the other trash while you’re at it.” He motioned towards where Elise and Beetee stood.

“Excuse me! I swear to fuck, I will rip your fucking dick off…” Elise shouted, practically running up to him, but Garrett grabbed her, holding her still.

Beetee’s eyes shifted and Axel pressed his paws into the ground, running his claws across the grass. The guards moved closer to all of us, but my father cleared his throat.

“I think we’ll stay, Ariel.” His voice was calm and unmoving, his tone made my spine straighten.

Ariel let out a sharp laugh. “You have no authority here, Maurice.”

“What the hell is going on?” Morgan demanded.

“I think he has all the authority,” Dani said, ignoring her and placing both her hands on her hips, sizing Ariel up.

My father stepped up so he could be right in front of Ariel. He placed his hand on his shoulder, the tension in his forearm causing his muscles to pulse. “Stand down, Ariel.”

The red headed angel’s eyes that held a menacing stare began to morph into one of understanding. The settling nature of my father’s newly found magic erupted over the entire space. The guards that stood behind Ariel backed away from him and looked at my father as if they were waiting for an instruction.

Ariel’s mouth gaped open. He knew what had happened, he could feel it pulsing into his body with the way my father held onto him. That didn’t mean he had to accept it, though. “It can’t…you don’t deserve it!”

“Neither do you. Jonah never thought highly of you, even all those years ago.” My father seemed to press down on his shoulder harder.

“Guards! Seize them, now !” Ariel shouted, clearly causing more of a spectacle than he anticipated.

Mission accomplished on our end.

“They don’t work for you now. You are back to what you’ve always been…” Dani started.

“Useless and disappointing,” Elise finished for her.

My father let go of his shoulder, watching as Ariel crumbled to the ground as if the weight of my father’s power was too much for him to handle. “Take him away,” my father said to no one in particular, but guards surrounded Ariel and yanked him up.

They carried him halfway down the lawn when the ground started to shake. Quick vibrations at my feet had me looking down, watching the small pieces of dirt and rocks shake. Then a violent growl ripped through and a few angels were knocked off their feet, some of the marble benches cracking in half.

“What the fuck is happening?” Reese shouted.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then the sky shifted in color. The blue became muted, distorting into something darker. The trees whipped from a wind that came from nowhere.

“Your majesty…” Zane started, suddenly by Natalia’s side and attempting to pull her away from whatever was happening. She batted his hands away, looking from me to Dani.

Elise was looking up at the sky, her face morphing into something I could only pinpoint as realization. “Why does no one fucking listen to me!”

“What are you yelling…” I started to say, but a dark circle appeared near us. It reminded me of the ripple in the sky but more fleshed out. This tear in the realms was more confident. The ground shook harder and the dark circle pulsed over and over.

Two hellhounds jumped out, but these looked different than the ones we fought in Purgatory. They were around Axel's size when he was angry but they had horns that protruded from the tops of their head, spikes trailed down their backs and their teeth were huge and oozing some sort of black liquid that sizzled when it hit the ground.

Axel growled more intensely, not backing down from them. I blinked and one minute he was the cute little black dog that napped in Reese’s arms, the next he was matching the size of these new hellhounds, stalking towards them but still keeping his distance.

A manically casual laugh filled my ears and the figure who owned that laugh stepped out of the portal. I had to be seeing a fucking ghost.

I heard a deep hiss come from my right and that told me everything I needed to know about Beetee’s state of mind.

“Nicholas…” My father started, but he was cut short when a scream pierced through the chaos.

I looked down to find Dani pressing a hand to her scarred thigh as she let out another scream of pain.