Chapter 17
Iwoke up on a hard, cold marble floor, blinking as my vision was still adjusting to the bright light.
“You’re lucky I didn’t kill you on the spot for what you have done,” a booming, familiar voice says with a hint of disdain. Sitting up, I realize that it’s Michael on the other side of the golden bars, covered in Angelic symbols.
I’m in what looks like a prison cell, but I can’t make out who is with him.
“What do you mean what I did? No one else was going to save her, so I did!” I retorted.
“I’m not talking about saving Frida. I’m talking about you vanquishing Uriel,” he snaps back, glaring at me through the bars.
“Where am I? Where is Frida? What the fuck is going on, Michael?” I bark.
“Watch your tone with me,” he snaps again this time in a thunderous tone.
“What you have done is nothing less than blasphemy,” Gabriel shouts, stepping forward, slamming his fist against the golden bars, causing a piercing and deafening ring to echo in the cell.
“The only reason you’re still alive is because Michael was the first one to get to you, if it was me I would have obliterated you on the spot for your heresy,” he yells through pure anger, almost hate, half drawing his sword.
“Gabriel, you need to calm down, there is no way that he would have done this without some sort of a reason,” the last figure replies, stepping out and I realize it’s Azrael.
“We all felt it when Uriel was killed, that feeling of complete and utter devastation. Almost like having your soul ripped from you, but we need to hear what Evander has to say.”
Michael puts his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Calm down, Gabriel we will find out exactly what happened and we will not hesitate to vindicate our fallen brother,” he replies, slowly moving Gabriel back from the cell.
They all stop and look at me. “What happened, Evander?” he asked with a chilling calmness in his voice.
With conviction and assertion, I reply. “It’s really simple what happened.
I received visions of Frida being tortured in the middle of the night, woke up, and ran out to go save her.
Uriel tried to stop me when I got to Purgatory.
I told him to get out of my way. He refused and attacked me.
I gave him one opportunity, after he attacked me, to let me pass, but he proceeded to stand in my way.
So I did what I had to do to save the only person that I give a shit about.
I don’t care what any of you say and if you were the ones in my way I would have done the exact same thing. Even if it would lead to my demise.”
“I understand your conviction to save the ones that you love, but we can’t just go off of your word. Is there anyone who can substantiate your claim?” Michael asks as Gabriel grumbles under his breath.
“There were two angels that watched the whole thing, Uriel told them to stand down. So if you don’t believe me then go find them and hear it for yourself.” I respond, then I turn my back to them, pissed off that they don’t believe me.
I sacrificed my life to save my team back on Earth. I am not a traitor with a trigger finger.
“Gabriel, stay here and make sure he doesn’t try to escape while we find out who was on sentry,” Michael responds, looking at Gabriel, then turns to Azrael. “Let’s start by asking your division if they have seen these angels,” he says, motioning to Azrael and they take off.
Leaving me with one vengeful Archangel.
FRIDA
The chains dig deeper into my flesh as Lilith moans. Sera screams for me to fight back. To not give up, but I’m so weak. The pain is unbearable and I just want it to end. “I’m sorry, Evander,” I mouth quietly.
Rathor grunts and removes his claws from my shoulder, not that it matters. I’m dying. I finally found my soulmate, and I am dying again… I don’t even remember my death from before. I think it was in battle.
It was so long ago.
Lilith giggles and walks toward the door, ordering her pet to join her. Rathor snaps back and I groan. My body is trying to heal itself, but they have my flesh pinned open. The skin stitching back together only causes more pain as it tugs.
It’s excruciating.
“Just kill me,” I mumble. Rathor walks over to me and grabs my hair, tugging my neck up to face him.
He’s naked, covered in my blood, and terrifying.
“Not yet. We have plans for you,” he says, then gives me a chilling smirk.
“She’s waking up. Frida, dear, can you hear me?” a soft, woman’s voice says. Someone reaches out to touch me and a warmth heats my soul, helping with the pain. I sigh. My eyelids feel heavy as I try to open them.
Bright light assaults me and I whimper, immediately closing them again.
“Lucius, can you?” the voice says again. I hear some shuffling around. “Okay, dear, try again.”
I slowly crack my eyes open and sigh. Faith is standing in front of the large window with her wings spread, stopping the light. She stays there until I nod, letting her know that I am okay now.
“What happened? How am I here?” I croak, then wince. I glance around, but the only people in here are the kind healer, Faith, with light blue hair, and Lucius. My heart aches and Sera whines.
“Where’s Evander?” I think I remember him saving me, but everything is fuzzy right now.
Lucius lowers his head, and crosses his arms. “Probably being held in the cell made for Rathor, until they decide if they are going to erase him from existence.”
Placing my hands on the bed, I push myself up against the pillows. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I growl and he closes his eyes and sighs.
“He killed an Archangel, Frida. You know what that means.”
I shake my head and toss the blanket off of me. My ribs ache, but it’s not too bad. In a few days I should be fine. Perks of our super fast healing abilities.
“No, no, Frida, your wounds have finally started to heal. Please lie back down. You, out!” she shouts, pointing at Lucius. Scoffing, he is shooed from the room, and the light assaults me again.
I let Faith fuss over me for a little longer, until I started to become stir crazy. My mind won’t stop racing. Evander killed someone? Who?
When I’ve had my limit, and I am about to plan my escape from the medical wing, the doors open. Peter and Haniel enter, giving me matching mischievous grins. “Look who the demons dragged in,” I joke and they move over to me.
Achilles walks in next, holding a tray of fruit and cheese. My stomach growls and I wave him over. One thing about the medical wing is we can’t manifest anything here.
He places the tray next to me and plops down on the bed beside me. He looks me over, and nods. “Good to have you back,” he says and I laugh.
“Yeah, I never thought I’d miss your ugly face,” I snark, then give him a serious look. “Is it true? Did Evander really kill an Archangel?”
Sighing, he grabs some of my snack and I smack his hand away with a growl. “Fucking tell me!”
“Uriel. He killed him in Purgatory, but no one knows anything.”
Peter stops talking with Haniel and looks over at us. “You missed an epic fight. We were sentry that night and it was something to go into the books. Uriel said some really nasty shit about you ‘lowly wolves’, and attacked Evander. Asshole deserved what he got.”
“Wait, you were there? Uriel attacked him? You have to go tell someone!” I shout and Haniel freezes. “Now!” I bark and he grumbles under his breath, then turns as a brilliant light with a thunderous crack is heard, and Michael appears in front of him.
He looks my way and nods. “How are you?” he inquires and I shrug.
“I’ll live. How’s Evander? You know he’s innocent right?”
Michael turns his gaze to Peter, giving him a once over and in a cold, stern tone says, “That’s what I’m here to find out.”
Haniel drops his gaze to the floor, submitting to Michael’s overwhelming presence and says with fear shaking his voice, “Peter and I saw everything. Uriel attacked Evander. Evander gave him multiple chances to stand down, but Uriel refused.”
Michael sighs, steps forward, and places his hands firmly on both of Peter’s and Haniel's heads. “Show me,” he orders and I watch as his wings unfurl and a brilliant blue glow appears and their eyes glaze over.
A few moments later the light fades as he releases them and they collapse onto the ground.
Faith rushes over and Michael says, “They’ll live.” Then he turns toward me. “I need to make this right.” And with a thunderous crack he disappears.
Faith moves the unconscious angels to their own beds, while cursing Michael, and I lean back against the pillows again, sighing.
I’m exhausted and I know I need to rest, Sera is already snoozing, but I couldn’t until I knew that Evander is safe.
EVANDER
I don’t know how long I’ve been here, but I need to get out. This is bullshit. I should be with Frida. I look back through the bars. Gabriel begins to pace back and forth in front of the cell.
“You act innocent, but want to know what I think? I honestly think that you wanted to take things into your own hands. Uriel tried to talk some sense into you and you blindsided him. Killed him, because of your hatred for him. Believe me I will make you pay for what you did.” He scoffs at me as the anger builds in his voice.
“I can tell you’ve made up your mind, but Gabriel I’m telling the truth.
Uriel refused to get out of my way and then attacked me.
I gave him multiple chances to step aside, but his disdain for me and the other Lycans blinded him and caused his fall,” I reply, trying to calm down.
I hope that Michael and Azrael find the angels.
“Stop lying!” he shouts, his face turning red as his fingers twitch toward his sword. “There is nothing that you can say that will dissuade me. It’s cold blooded murder, no, it’s blasphemous what you did. I should end your existence now,” he snarls, as he places his hand on the pommel of his sword.