A wounded part of him wanted Jehovah to take Michael, to punish him so that he could feel how Luce had felt. The sensible part of him knew that was vengeful and misguided. Similar feelings warred behind Michael’s eyes.
His angel had always been prone to self-sacrifice, especially for what he considered the ‘greater good’. Michael had sacrificed love for honor. He had sacrificed his morals for loyalty. Lucifer could see it right there on his face: he would sacrifice his freedom for peace.
“You have to,” Luce murmured sadly. “I cannot protect you from this.”
Michael shook his head.“I don’t expect you to. I knew I would need to atone, and I made my own choices.”
“I wish we had more time.” Luce swallowed harshly. “For what it’s worth… and considering what we’ve learned… I think I can forgive what happened in our past.”
“You… have no idea how much that means to me. I’m not certain I can even say I deserve your forgiveness.”
“Well, you have it regardless.”
“Yes, this is very touching,” Jehovah said, clearly at the end of his patience. “Can we get on with things?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, do you have better things to do?” Luce snapped, whirling on his brother in cold fury. “You are taking two of the people I care for most, to do who knows what to them, with the possibility that I never see them again. Forgive me for not moving at a pace that suitsyou, brother.”
Jehovah arched a brow, unmoved. “Are you quite finished?”
“You areunbelievable.”
“I have been called worse.” Jehovah shrugged, then extended a hand toJophiel. “Come, son. Michael knows better than to fight his punishment.”
The sheer arrogance almost made Michael want to fight, but Luce gave a sharp shake of the head. In his battered state and with Luce powerless to back him, they stood no chance against Jehovah. Michael tensed but ultimately followedJophielback to Jehovah’s side.
Ithiel hesitated, then quickly followed, pulling Mags by her bound wrists. To her credit, Mags did not panic. She held her head high and dug in her heels, not truly resisting but making Ithiel work for every inch he marched her toward confinement.
Jehovah gave them both a sweeping glance and shook his head in disappointment. “You were both held in such high regard in my realm. My favored soldier, and my own son’s consort. And now I bring you back in shackles.”
“This isyourchoice,” Michael said softly. “These areyourlaws.”
Darkness clouded Jehovah’s expression again, and he gripped Michael roughly by the jaw. “That’s enough, Mikha’el. You’re treading a dangerous line.”
“You’ve already made me a prisoner,” Michael frowned. “I see no reason to stay my tongue any longer.”
“Is that so?” Jehovah’s voice took on a deadly cast, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
“I’m tired of keeping quiet when I disagree with your methods and decisions, Jehovah.”
The King’s grip tightened, squeezing until his fingers were digging into the angel’s flesh hard enough to bruise. “You have one more chance to shut your mouth, Mikha’el, or I will do it for you.”
Michael met his glare head on. “I’ve been silent for you long enough.”
“On that, we disagree,” Jehovah purred, and yanked Michael’s mouth open. Before any of them could react, before they could even register what was happening, Jehovah pulled a gleaming knife from a sheath on his belt.
“Hold still,” he said sternly, and drove his blade into the angel’s mouth. In one swift movement, he sliced out Michael’s tongue, casting the lump of flesh to the dirt as the other man began to choke on the golden blood pouring from the wound.
“Michael!” Lucifer screamed, stumbling towards them, but Jehovah flung him back with a flick of his wrist.
“The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,” Jehovah purred darkly, as he healed the gaping wound to prevent it from growing back. “But a perverse tongue will be cut out.”
The clearing was silent as they all dealt with the shock of what they had just witnessed. Michael’s pained whimper cut Luce to the bone. He tried to rise, but he was too worn down, completely depleted and unable to fight.
“I trust I’ve made myself understood,” Jehovah said coldly. “Now, I think it’s time we left this decrepit plane.”
He clapped once and the horses paraded forward. He clapped again, and a golden cage wove itself from sunbeams, affixed to the harnesses of two horses like a morbid gilded carriage.Jophielwas quick to usher Michael into the cage, while Ithiel struggled to wrangle Mags, ultimately shoving the petite woman into the golden prison with the angel.
Michael took her small hands in his own, carefully unwinding the cord that bound her. She lifted a freed hand and touched his cheek lightly, though she had to fully extend her arm to reach. Michael smiled fondly despite being in clear pain and rested a comforting hand lightly on her shoulder. Luce’s heart broke to see it.
