“I know you don’t know us from Adam,” Seir said, smirking hard, especially when James chuffed a laugh, “but the offer is genuine. Ris is a good man. His story is not mine to tell, but he was also imprisoned just for being who he is. He is beloved by his kingdom and does his best to treat everyone kindly. With fairness.” He swiped his napkin across his mouth and leaned forward on his elbows. “Honest work. Ample food, warm bed, hot baths. What do you say?”
“Yes. Please.” Brinda fought her tears, but they won in the end. She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed out her thanks, her two men comforting her and giving us their gratitude just as vocally.
For a day that had started off feeling wrong, I couldn’t help feeling hopeful that we’d managed to turn everything around, at least for them.
After the meal,everyone gathered in the great hall near the portal to the fae realm. The one that led directly to Everwood was a deep, rich brown. There was a small pine tree in one corner and a red leaf in the other.
I briefly wondered if I would ever remember the symbols and sounds for all the places on the other side of the doorways like Tap did. As if confirming my question, when I looked at the one beside it, a doorway built from driftwood with a sprinkle of golden sand in one top corner and a shell in the other, I knew that it led to a place called Aevum Cay.
“Couldn’t possibly be all of them,” I muttered to myself. “Doors to the fae realm?” I asked quietly, and a row of four lit up gold, the ones for Everwood and Aevum Cay included. “Saints.” I thought quickly as Seir educated our guests on what to expect in that realm. “Doors to cold places?” Several lit up, all up and down the hall, a faint white light hovering around them like it did the silver deals. “Doors to forested places?” Green illuminated these. I exhaled, wondering just how far my Voice talent extended and how many new surprises it would bring as I continued to heal.
It’s wonderful that you’re finding itagain, Ramsey said in my head, startling me. She panted, smiling.Your gift.
“Again?” I asked. “How do you mean?”
Why do you think your father took you to the archives with him? Do you really not remember at all?
Saddened, I shook my head. “No, I don’t. What all does it work on?”
One way to find out, mistress.
Cryptically helpful, as always.
Ramsey planned to accompany the three Nephilim to Everwood with Seir as another layer of familiarity. Despite not being able to communicate clearly, they’d built a level of trust.
“Thank you,” Brinda said, drawing me close and giving me a brief hug. “We owe you so much more than we did when we arrived, but I’m grateful for such a debt.”
“We’ll see one another again, soon,” I promised her, and I meant it. I wanted to talk with them, and any other Nephilim that might have escaped the councilman’s grasp.
Tap activated the portal and just as Brinda moved to step through, every other doorway in the hall also came to life, flickered, then went dark again. Then they started to come on at random, but only for a moment before going out again.
“What in the…” Seir glanced around. “Tap?”
“I think it’s safe to assume we’ve arrived at eclipse totality,” Tap said. “This has happened before, though not so widespread. We should wait until it settles.”
Seir nodded and activated his small scrying mirror, trying to reach Rylan or Vassago at d’Arcan to confirm.
The pressure in the room changed. The temperature dropped. Portals hummed as they activated just to go dark again.
And somewhere amidst the chaos, Councilman Armaros stepped through the same portal the three Nephilim had arrived through.
The angel smirked as he looked around the great hall. I’d gotten very brief glimpses of him that day at the church, but now I was getting to see him straight on. He was tall, with the silver-blonde hair and violet eyes that gave him away as an angel. He was painfully beautiful, but his evil nature shone through, dulling any attractiveness. I shivered when his cold eyes landed on me, then my anger flared when he arrogantly winked at Brinda.
Seir tensed and stepped in front of the three Nephilim, clearly recognizing him as well as the threat he was. Ramsey had her teeth bared, a low rumble in her chest as she took up a defensive stance. Her eyes glowed red, and black smoke swirled aggressively over her whole body.
“Howdareyou step foot here,” Tap growled. His wings snapped out wide, his demon features instantly at the surface. “You are breaking several Heavenly ordained rules by daring to come here.” The angel just chuckled, looking at Tap like he was a child having a tantrum. It was odd to see, because Tap was taller than him by a few inches, especially in his demon form, so the angel’s ego had him smirking while lookingupat Tap.
“Armaros, this ismydomain, and you arenot. Welcome. Here.” Tap’s deep, resonant voice boomed around the wide hall.I held my breath as he approached the angel, blade raised. “You are not now, nor have you ever been permitted to come to this place.”
Seir stepped forward, handing the mirror to Brinda so he too could draw his blade. I saw a flash of Rylan’s face in the glass, which was reassurance that they were at the very least hearing what was happening.
He just laughed, the sound like broken bells. “Oh, Tap. What a pleasure to see you again.”
“I could not disagree more.”
“You’ll be made an example of for breaking the transit covenants,” Seir warned, shaking his head in disgust. “You should leave.”
Armaros shrugged. “Not if I’ve got the proper reasoning and leverage.” The three Nephilim huddled together, backing as far away from him as they could get without falling through the portal. “You know, I was losing my faith in Father Morton there for a bit, but now, I think he deserves a reward for being so helpful.” He turned to face me, wearing a grin that scraped along my spine. His words landed like punches, giving me further confirmation that Father Morton was not, and perhaps had never truly been, a friend to me or my parents. He was not even a good man of faith; so easily swayed by temptation as to reveal my location once I was no longer under his watch. Shameful.
