Then the moment came—Gall, in a burst of fury, swung the axe recklessly, burying it in the thick wood of the tabletop again.
Had this been a true duel, I would have run him through with my spear. He stood, one foot forward, both hands stretched up the axe-handle, baring his ribs to me on this side.
Hell, even without a weapon, I could have killed him.
To prove it to him, I leaped—dropping my shields to hook his forward arm and pulling it around his back at the same time Ilocked the opposite wrist and lifted him away from the weapon, and the table, into the clear space in the room.
Gall snarled and bellowed, struggled and swore—and was far harder to overcome than he’d ever been before—but in the end, my superior skill won, and we stood in the middle of the slate floor, Gall’s arm locked behind his back, and my other arm around his throat, keeping him locked to me.
He spat and snarled like a cat, fighting me, but finally we stopped, both panting, him hunched forward, and me holding his arm so he couldn’t move without breaking his shoulder.
“Relax, Gall,” I whispered in his ear, suddenly filled with grief because he roared and shook with frustration, and Ihatedmaking him feel that way. “Please, listen to me.”
“I’m never listening to you!”
“Why not?”
“Because you lied to me and you didn’t trust me, and then everything you said turned out to be wrong.”
“I know I hid things, Gall, and I regret that now, but I wasn’t wrong about who Lucifer is, or—”
“He’s mygrandfather!”
“He’s a Fallen Angel, Gall. Do you know what that means?! He’s literally the evil that haunts this world—the reason you feel pain, and that danger exists. He defied the Creator, and tried to take His place in this world and now we’re living out the consequences. You’veseenit. Do you understand,we’re doing exactly what he wants by being angry and fighting each other.”
Gall shuddered. But his body was wracked. Waves of trembling rippled through him, as he cursed and struggled with me.
“Kill me, then! If you think I’m evil, you kill me!”
“Gall,” I almost wept. “I’dneverkill you.”
“Then why are you fighting me?! Why are you here?”
“Because what you’re doing is wrong—what Lucifer did to you, to bring you here, is wrong.”
“He made me smart! He made me strong! Look at me—I’m aking.”
“You haven’t had a moment of peace or joy since he brought you here! Gall, look at yourself!Think!It’s not making you happy! All these things you have, all the ways you’re grasping… are youhappy?”
Gall went still. “That’s not true,” he said quickly. But I felt him tense.
I dropped my forehead against his shoulder and sighed. “Please, Gall…”
“I love Izzy—”
“And Izzy loves you too. Andhekeeps you apart!”
Gall shivered. “You’re just trying to make me hate him so I’ll trust you,” he said sullenly.
“No,” I whispered. “No. I’mdesperate. So, so scared he’s going to destroy you, and I know… I know this isn’t you. You aren’t the son I’ve always loved—the true you—and I’m terrified you won’t realize that until it’s too late.”
Gall's chest heaved, but he’d stopped struggling. Then he shook his head. “No. It’s a lie. Everyone lies. You all lie—you all hide. Only Grandfather—”
“Grandfather is corrupting you with thefilthhe calls life. You can be happy, Gall. You can be happy and healthy and love Istral, without all of this.”
When he didn’t answer, my heart began to pound for a whole new reason. “Please, Gall. I’m begging you. I know you’re in there. I know your true heart, your real mind—the joyful, sweet young man I’ve always protected and trained… I know he’s still in there. I know you can see through this. I know you canfeelit. I know when you do you’ll be safe again. I know you won’t kill me. And I’llneverkill you.”
“You’re lying.”
