“You like them?”
Maggie jumped back, clutching her baby tight.
She turned in the direction of the voice to see Veylo standing behind her, smiling.
“Did you really think I would let you just walk out of here with the Christ? Really? As if I’m not watching you constantly.”
She knew the effortlessness of her escape attempt had been too good to be true.
She pulled the baby close.
“Don’t worry. You can hold him all you want, but if you think you’re leaving here with him, you’re mistaken. And if I catch you trying something like this again, I will take him from you… forever.”
Those words horrified her. How could she go on without seeing this beautiful creature ever again? This baby who was a piece of her… a part of her.
She couldn’t lose him.
“This is my work,” Veylo said, gesturing to the monster in the cage. “This is what I’ve been trying to make a reality.”
“What is it?”
“Morarkes. Hundreds of Morarkes that will be able to destroy the fallen of Hell. They do as their master, which is me, wishes. And I will have them annihilate all of the fallen on behalf of the Almighty.”
They were the creatures Kinzer had told her of… the ones that the Leader had crafted to battle the armies of Heaven, the ones that had united Heaven and Hell as they sought to dismantle these monstrous creations.
“And humans, too?” she asked.
“Of course humans, too. Why would He have it any other way? The Almighty has been very disappointed with this creation… this planet. And while it certainly wasn’t His worst, it’s something that brings Him a lot of painful memories. Haven’t you ever had a lover… someone who broke your heart, that you just ached to forget?”
Tommy Rager came to mind. She knew she’d never be able to forget him, no matter how hard she tried.
“That’s all it is,” Veylo said. “The Leader brings him painful memories, and this place, all that it is, is a part of that. And if you gifted that lover something that reminded you of him, might you not want to destroy it as well?”
“That’s like saying if you gave them a dog, you’d rather just kill the dog to keep from remembering the relationship.”
“Yes,” Veylo said. He didn’t seem to notice the disconnect. “It is. The Morarkes are a great invention. To think they were so powerful as to rival the Almighty’s realm. Doesn’t that say something about creation? Doesn’t that make you marvel at the possibilities? When something one created becomes stronger than the creator? It’s part of why the Almighty grapples as He does, because with creating, there comes a fear of the loss of control… loss of power. Now, more than ever, the Almighty feels like this is the case. His creations have run amuck, and it’s time to put them back into order, and these Morarkes will do just that. You see this all wrong, and I understand. You are a mortal and can only see from your perspective. But just try… do your best to don mine for a moment and see that, mortal existence in this world, and the abominations of other realms don’t create harmony. They create disorder. They create the chaos this universe has become rife with. And if we can just remove those beings that are the cause of all this strife, then we can set things right again. We can return to the paradise that we once had. And isn’t that a good cause?”
Maggie thought that sounded like blowing up the Middle East to create peace. It seemed like a viable solution, but it didn’t sound reasonable or just.
“It’s alright,” Veylo said. “I don’t ask that you agree with me. This all will transpire regardless of your involvement. But I do wish I could broaden your horizons a bit… convince you to see beyond the reality that you are accustomed to.”
Maggie had already seen so much beyond what she’d known before her awareness of immortals. She’d seen far more than she’d ever thought she’d see. And yet, she still didn’t feel that anything Veylo offered was logical. It was like talking to a serial killer about why they thought it was okay to murder.
***
Vera requested Treycore’s company for lunch, and Treycore obliged. He was, after all, her guest.
He sat at the head of the dining table. Vera sat a few chairs away from him, as if despite their agreement, she was concerned he might try to kill her.
The cleavage of the navy dress she wore fell into a wide V above her breasts. As she ate a delicacy of immortal fish and grains from a plate that had been provided by her slaves, she gazed at Treycore.
“Are you already so jaded?” she asked.
Treycore glared at her.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m giving you every opportunity to win him back. That’s only right.”
“You aren’t giving me anything. You’re turning this into one of your twisted games. You love that you don’t think this will work. You’re delighting in it, aren’t you?”
