Naively, my first gut reaction was that of sheer relief. Euriel had finally convinced Michael that Shemyaza was indeed an escaped watcher and Heaven was intervening. Tears spilled down my face, and I felt Alex take my hand before squeezing gently. I clutched it, knowing how he felt. With the Heavenly Council taking over the search for Shemyaza, we would be able to take Amadi home and concentrate on getting him well again. I was so relieved and overjoyed, I wanted to throw my arms around Euriel. Assuming that would be hugely inappropriate, I settled for smiling at him instead.
My eyes met his, and the smile froze on my face. Euriel wasn’t smiling back. He wasn’t even wearing his normally stoic expression. The look on his face was the one I’d seen when he’d attempted to arrest Phanuel at the cathedral—utter hatred and absolute disgust. My breath caught in my throat, and it felt like I’d been punched hard in the stomach. The taller angel next to Euriel stepped forward, his flaming sword drawn.
I tore my gaze away from Euriel, unable to bear looking at him any longer, as the other angel spoke. His voice was deep, with a resonance of power that made me tremble.
“I am Michael, Angel of the Lord, Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, Warrior and Protector of His Children on Earth. I have descended to—”
“Euriel, what’s going on?” Cas asked, not even looking at Michael. Euriel remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together. Cas took a couple of steps forward. “Euriel, seriously, what in Sheol—”
“Do not disregard me so easily, Cassiel, betrayer and defiler of Heaven, else I shall cast you down into Sheol where you belong.” Michael stepped between them, lifting his sword as a reminder. Cas clenched his fists by his sides then moved backwards.
“My apologies, Prince. I was carried away by my concern for our friend who disappeared without any explanation at a time when we were being hunted by a maniacal watcher who escaped from Tartarus. Oh, wait, you don’t believe that’s actually happened, do you? I forgot. I suppose if the Great High and Mighty hasn’t told you it’s happened, then it’s not real.” Cas made absolutely no attempt to veil the sarcasm in his voice, and I could hear the anger just under the surface.
“I do not, and Lord Euriel returned at the fulfilment of his mission, as he had been instructed to. He was under no obligation to notify you of this. As for the idea of the two of you being friends, the idea is laughable. Lord Euriel is an angel of the highest honour and well respected amongst his peers. I highly doubt he would even consider a friendship with someone such as yourself,” Michael sneered, his sword flaring with his temper. Afraid it might erupt into something more, I moved over to Cas and took his hand. His fist relaxed under my touch, and he let me twine my fingers around his. I tried not to look at Euriel directly, but I had noticed his face softened slightly when Cas referred to him as a friend.
“I apologise for my forwardness. I had come to view Lord Euriel with respect. I was merely concerned he had been attacked,” Cas explained, his tone more controlled.
“There is no need for your concern. As you can see, he is in good health. He has, however, completed the mission on which I sent him, and it sickens me to say he has brought me overwhelming evidence that there has been an abominable crime committed on Earth.” Michael raised his voice so he could be heard clearly by all the angels. “From this crime, a horror has sprung forth that has not existed on this plane since recorded history began. A crime which you should have reported, Cassiel, the moment you suspected anything, but I see betrayal and deceit is still in your nature. Your removal from the presence of God was clearly not punishment enough for you to learn from it.”
Cas squeezed my hand, but he didn’t react. I could sense his stillness, and it worried me. A sick, suspicious feeling was creeping over me, one that had been lying at the bottom of my stomach since earlier this evening when Euriel had seen my wings and angel blade. I prayed with all my might that I was wrong. Alex and Sam moved forward, Sam to stand by my side, Alex at Cas’s right.
Michael turned to face me, and my blood went cold. “I have descended to correct this most egregious error and to remove the cancer which infests this plane.” This time, I did look straight at Euriel, my mouth falling open in shock. He returned my gaze, his eyes hard and unforgiving.
Michael motioned to the angels behind him, and four immediately stepped forward. One swung his blazing sword in a slick motion, barely stopping before it touched the skin of Cas’s throat. One shoved Sam backwards while the other grabbed me by the upper arms, pulling me away from the guys, and held me fast. Another stepped between me and the guys with his sword drawn to prevent them from intervening.
I looked at Cas, panicked, but he stood there in shock, staring at Michael.
Michael smiled. “It is good that you do not resist. Faith Matthews, you will be taken from this place and incarcerated in Gehenna, the Halls of Torment. There, you shall await your trial and final sentence.”
“No,” Cas said, still staring at Michael. Michael turned on him, his eyes blazing.
“Cassiel, you and your companions will be placed under house arrest until it can be determined how much of this creature’s depravity you were aware of. There will be a heavenly guard, so do not even consider an escape attempt. There will be many, many questions, and you will all need to account for your actions in this matter.”
“No, there is no way you are taking her to Gehenna.” Alex darted forward and grabbed the arms of the angel holding on to me, and Sam went for the other, shifting instantly as he leapt at him.
I stumbled back as their hands were ripped from my arms, and I cried out as I saw the angel blade flash, catching Alex across the chest. The other angel caught Sam mid-leap with one hand around his throat, and merely turned and deflected Sam’s momentum, hurling him against the underside of the truck. I whipped my head around to see Cas struggling with the three angels that were now trying to hold him down. Behind Michael, other angels were moving forward to join the fray.
“Euriel!” I cried out. “Euriel, please, stop this!” He wouldn’t look at me, he just turned his head towards Michael who was viewing the proceedings with an air of distaste.
“Cassiel,” he called, looking on as four of his angels kicked Sam’s body where he had fallen to the ground. “I would suggest you call off your dog before we put it down.”
Cas looked at me, and the desperation and panic I saw in his eyes scared me more than anything else I had ever seen before. Fury rose within me, and I threw myself at Michael, my own small blade flaring with light as I lunged at him. I didn’t get close before Euriel’s fist connected with my face, sending me crashing to the ground. My sight blurred for a moment, and then the pain hit and I was being dragged roughly to my feet. I heard the clinking sounds of chains and twisted to free myself, but his grip was too strong. Cuffs snapped around my wrists, and the chains were wrapped around my chest and shoulders, binding my arms to my sides and ensuring I couldn’t free my wings. I fought the whole time, twisting and turning, until finally, he forced me to the ground with his knee in my back. My legs were bound tightly together, and when he finally removed his knee, I lay still, my tears falling into the dirt below my face.
Cas had warned me, they all had. They told me over and over what would happen if Euriel found out my secret, but the pull between us had been so strong, I just couldn’t believe it. Had he not felt it like I had? Clearly not. My stupidity hit me hard and my body went limp as any fight drained away.
Several pairs of hands took hold of the chains and hauled me to my feet. I hung my head, letting my hair fall in front of my face, not wanting to see the expression of abhorrence on Euriel’s face again. Then I heard Sam whine, and I realised the others were still fighting. Fighting for me. My heart swelled with love for them all, and a small sliver of steel formed in my core.
I tipped my head up, and this time, I ignored Euriel and looked straight at Michael. “Enough. You have me. Let the others go, they have nothing to do with this. They didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know?” Euriel spat on the ground in front of me, his eyes flashing with anger. “You were fighting with them, your wings out, your blade on full display. You didn’t even conceal your shame in front of them. They knew. They knew all along, and they still fucked you. I—” He swallowed down what he was about to say next and took a breath. “You all make me sick.”
My heart twisted painfully, but I forced myself to smile at him. “I don’t care what I make you, Euriel. You no longer exist to me.” I twisted against the chains, turning as much as I could. “Cas, stop!”
Cas looked up from where he was struggling to free Alex from the grip of two angels. “What?”
“I said stop. All of you. I refuse to get you all killed. Do what they say. Please.” I shook my head, silently begging him to listen to me. “Please, Cas, tell them to stop. I can’t lose anyone else.” I saw Alex stop struggling and Sam dragging himself to his feet. The angels began to back off after it was clear the men weren’t attacking any more.
Cas moved towards me, hesitating as two angels stepped between us. “Faith, you can’t expect me to—”
“There is more at stake than me, you know that. I still have to wait for the trial.” A sudden dart of hope hit me. “Cas, find Mahazael! Tell him who I am. Tell him what I am.”
“But—”
“Enough of this.” Michael snapped his fingers, and the angels immediately came to attention. “Arrest them.”
I watched as Cas, Alex, and Sam allowed themselves to be cuffed and led away, twisting to look back at me. The angels closed around them, and I lost sight of them.
I took a deep breath and turned to Euriel. “Happy?” I asked bitterly. “I guess this removes the temptation, doesn’t it? Pretty convenient for you.”
He moved closer so Michael couldn’t hear. “Are you implying I reported you because I was worried you’d seduce me?”
“No, I think you reported me because you feel something for me and it terrifies you. You know I’m not a monster, Euriel. You know me.”
“I thought I did. Now I find out you’re just a scheming little succubus intent on concealing her secret no matter the cost. You must have all had such a great laugh at me.” He smiled coldly. “Not laughing now though, are you?”
I took a steadying breath, torn between the desire to kill him and kiss him. I was shaking badly now, and the tears were threatening to spill over, but there was no fucking way he was going to see me cry ever again.
“Shemyaza possessed Cain. He’s now unkillable. I wish you and your Heavenly Council luck in defeating him now. Amadi is over there on the verge of death. He’s in a bad way, but he’s alive. Promise me you’ll help him.”
“Why should I help you?” he sneered.
I leaned forward so I could whisper in his ear. “Because if you don’t, I’ll give Michael a very vivid description of how your hard cock felt in my mouth, and how you kissed me and forced me to my knees—”
“Fine,” he barked, turning away and allowing two angels to come forward and seize my arms once more.
As I was dragged past him, he quietly asked, “But how do I know you’ll keep my secret and not damn me too?”
I gave him one last sad smile as the angels spread their wings to carry me away. “Because I love you.”
