Chapter 41
Phin
The next several days passed in an odd mix of settling into our routine and wondering if something else was coming to disturb our peace.
The trial run of Hell sharing in the burden of watching the portals had been a resounding success, especially considering it was basically trial by fire with the eclipse.
Seir, Coltor, and Tap spent time every day discussing logistics for converting that to a permanent situation while simultaneously trying to figure out how to find any other hidden doorways like the one that led to Purgatory, not to mention a way to re-route the path back to Purgatory itself.
Ramsey and my parents still hadn’t returned, but they’d used one of Vassago’s scrying mirrors to let me know they were safe and things were being dealt with.
Based on my father’s very pensive expression, things were not great on the celestial plane, but I had no doubt he would do everything he could to make them better.
Greta had stopped by with a new vial of tincture for me, one that only had to be taken at the first sign of my cycle starting.
It wouldn’t suppress my wings, or my Voice, but it wouldn’t harm me like the last one.
She’d tucked it safely into my hand and then squeezed me tight, apologizing that it had taken so long.
I hugged her back and tried to assure her that I was just grateful to have it.
With the help of my newfound talent, I’d made it through all the deals on and around the table and was beginning to work through the first set of shelves so I could better clean up the rest of the floor.
Unfortunately, that required me to shift some of those documents from their stacks and piles …
to the table. It was a work in progress, but I loved seeing the way everything was becoming more orderly day after day.
I had lots of ideas for an improved method of maintaining new deals going forward, but that wasn’t part of the project.
To my relief and joy, Tap had actually started to make a little bit of time for leisure activities since our return.
He’d resumed work on the family portrait but asked me to keep that quiet, especially from Seir, but it apparently had become a running joke between all of his brothers that it was something he’d been attempting to complete for a very long time.
He’d also started on some new woodwork, but I hadn’t seen what it was yet as I’d been occupied with drawing.
“Feather, would you come with me somewhere?” he asked as I wandered a row of portals with him, a plate full of cookies I’d baked from a recipe Grace shared still in my hands.
“I don’t see why not. Where?”
“Hell.”
I stopped walking. “Am I … allowed to go there?”
“Of course. You’re part demon.”
“It’s the angel part I think might be a problem. Especially since I happen to look like one.”
He shrugged, that ridiculously disarming grin on his mouth.
“You were allowed into Heaven even as part demon, if you recall. Besides, you’ll be with me.
I tend to agree with your father on this—if my mate is not welcome anywhere I need to go, then that’s their problem, not mine.
And they’ll have to deal with me personally about it.
” His smile widened as he saw how those words had affected me, and he dipped to give me a quick kiss before taking a cookie from the plate.
“He’s absolutely correct!” Seir called from the next row. “And I’ll be there, too, if that counts for anything.” He jogged over. “Can I have one?”
I laughed, his pleading puppylike eyes never not amusing. “Of course.”
He enthusiastically grabbed at the treat and crammed it in his mouth. “Delicious,” he mumbled over the bite.
Tap just shook his head and sighed. “Are you ready?”
I froze, recalling how going to d’Arcan that first time had gone this same way. “Now?”
“Sorry, but yes. There’s a meeting shortly. Even we didn’t find out until just before I asked you.”
Irrational panic rose. “Okay. Do I need to change?”
“No. You look beautiful, as always.”
“Aw,” Seir said from near a portal with red flames on a black frame marked The Pit. “You two are adorable. Shall we go?”
“Was that always here?” I asked. “I think I would remember it.”
Tap offered me his arm, and after I hastily patted my hair down and straightened my clothes, I accepted. “It’s a new addition,” he said. “Ready?”
Seir stepped through before us, and as was my habit, I scrunched my eyes closed and held my breath until we were on the other side. When I opened them, I found myself in what was essentially a room like our libraries, just without all the shelves.
A shiny ebony table equipped to seat at least twenty sat in the middle of a room decorated with sculpted garnet wallpaper and gold fixtures.
The fire was lit and burning at a cozy level.
There were several small tables at the fringes of the room with armchairs on either side and low lamps on top.
It should have come across as gaudy, but instead just seemed entirely fitting for the location.
Seir took another cookie off the plate and set it on the table.
“You brought them with you?” Tap chuckled.
“I certainly wasn’t going to leave them behind,” he chuffed. “I’m hungry and they’re delicious.”
The door we’d come through opened and a massive demon strode in, dropping a heavy folder on the table as he selected a chair.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice. I’m Keplar.
” He frowned in concentration as he arranged a crystal orb on the table in front of himself.
“Shall we get started?” He seemed stressed, but once he glanced at Tap and I, he took a deep breath and relaxed.
“Sorry. My workload is … not your issue. Like I said, I’m Keplar.
I assume you’re Tap?” He reached out a meaty hand and they shook.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Nice to meet you. The crossroads is no easy assignment; you have my respect for how well you’ve held it all together.”
“Appreciated.” Tap blinked, his nod stiff with surprise. “This is Phin.”
“Hello,” I said, unable to keep myself from being shy in the presence of yet another massive demon.
Keplar’s hand shifted to me. “Pleased to meet you, as well, Phin. It’s not often—well, never, actually—that I get the honor of meeting a Nephilim.” I only blushed harder and he cracked a grin. Then his eyes shifted to Seir, and he exhaled a long-suffering sigh. “Yes, and how are you, today, Seir?”
“Well, thank you, sir. Cookie?” Seir was positively bouncing in his seat as he shoved the plate Keplar’s direction. The big demon took one between his finger and thumb, making short work of it in one bite. He nodded his approval, which gave me an odd surge of pride.
“Alright. Shall we get started? We’ll get the other introductions out of the way all at once.” Keplar adjusted a few things, and the orb threw three windows of light into the air above it, all of them slowly rotating around in a circle.
One of the windows showed an office with a squatty demon sitting behind a desk with a high counter in front of it and a cheery, red-skinned demoness standing next to them.
The next was what I assumed was the forge at the stone kin conclave, because Imogen and Magnus were sitting side by side.
The last window showed a room I recognized all too well—the archives in Heaven.
I leaned forward in my seat, happy to see my parents.
“Good to know the orb and scrying mirrors work well together. That will aid communications immensely. Alright, we’ve got Seir, Tap, and Phin with me here representing the crossroads and the Emankor ruins.
Rune and Meg are representing our assignments and records office.
I’ve also invited stone kin forge mistress Imogen Aurichal and General Magnus Aurichal.
Welcome everyone, thank you for coming. I’ve spoken with most of you separately, but I thought it would be beneficial to have everyone in one conversation.
” There was a general murmur of greeting and then Keplar launched right into what seemed essentially to be a business meeting.
“If you wouldn’t mind starting us off, Councilman? ”
I flinched at the title, but it was my father who responded to it.
“Certainly. Negotiations here have stalled for the moment, but we’re still compiling cases and locating those who were wronged under the current council.
Overall, the current oversight structure is crumbling as supporters of Armaros are rooted out.
I didn’t plan to take a seat, but that’s proven necessary to prevent further devastation to vital infrastructure.
We’ll be located here for the time being.
” I nodded as my parents looked at me, eyes pleading for understanding.
“Understood. General?”
“The stone kin and mage councils are also in disarray due to several of their members having been involved not only with Armaros, but in the broader scheme to forbid cross-species matches in order to limit the power of potential offspring. The rot has festered for too long and now that it’s being excised there’s quite a mess to clean up.
Things are less stable than we’d like. Instability and desperation lead to violence, so we are braced and vigilant as we put things in order. ”
“Too true,” Keplar nodded. “In that vein, forge mistress, we’d like to put forth a bid to commission your blades for at least some of our legions.”
“I’m flattered,” Imogen said, “but a bit confused. Am I wrong to assume that Hell has its own forges?”
“Not at all. They make our standard blades and will continue. But we’d like to contract you for the specialty pieces.
Particularly, the Dark blades, though we’d like to have the combination Light and Dark available as well.
One never knows what kind of enemy they might be facing, after all, and it seems we may be moving more toward fights that are delineated on stance rather than species. ”