“Sara!” Morpheus darted around Lucifer and ran for the lone female in the group.
“Morpheus!” Saraqael met the Dream God halfway and wrapped her arms around him. Their wings came forward to cocoon the couple, Morph's black feathers merging with Sara's white.
“We felt the bond between us and Jehovah break,” Samael said as he stepped up to Luke with his family. “Was that you?”
“I wish I could say it was, but no.” Luke grinned as he shook his head. “You're not going to believe this, but it was my grandson, Brevyn who set you free. He has the magic of Borrowing, and he used it to borrow Jerry's magic, then used Jerry's magic to free all of you.”
“Where is he?” one of the Archangels asked. “I'd like to thank this borrowing kid.”
“He's home, safe,” I said. Then I looked at Luke. “At least, I hope he's safe. I still don't know how Jerry got him out of Pride Palace.”
“Could he have broken your ward?”
“I don't think so. Territory wards are far stronger than those set on Earth.” I paused as I thought about Torrent's ability to unmake magic, even the magic of a god's ward on his territory. Then I shook my head. “No, if the ward had gone down, the lions I left behind to guard the children would have sensed it and texted me.”
“They didn't text you about Brevyn being taken,” Luke said gently. “Maybe they're—”
“Nyet,” Kirill cut him off. “Vervain and I vould have felt zeir deaths. Zey live.”
“Then it must be a traitor,” Cid said as he glanced around our group.
“It can only be one of two people,” Kirill went grim. “Michael gave tracing chant to Cassiel and Zachariel.”
Every eye turned toward Cassiel. I have to admit, I instantly assumed it was him too. He had governed the Seventh Heaven, and he'd been so calm when Mike brought him and Zach to Pride Palace. The other two had been distraught over the Archangels getting taken, but not Cassiel. It had to be him.
“It wasn't me!” Cassiel exclaimed. “I would never—”
“It was me.” Zachariel stepped forward.
“No,” Raphael whispered. Then, louder, “No fucking way! You would never betray us. You'd never betrayme.”
“I'm so sorry,” Zachariel said miserably. “I don't know why I did it. It almost felt as if I were standing outside myself, watching helplessly. Not actually in control.”
Cid snorted. “Sure.”
Lucifer waved Cid down, then asked Zachariel, “When did you start feeling this way? Tell us exactly what happened.”
“It was during the battle. I suddenly had this urge to go back to Pride Palace.”
“Damn it! This is my fault,” Michael said. “I'm the one who asked Vervain for permission to give them the tracing chant.”
“This isn't your fault, Michael,” Satan said. “And I don't think it's Zachariel's either.”
“What?” Zachariel looked up from his slump.
“What happened next?” Luke asked him.
“I traced to Pride Palace. As soon as I stepped out of the tracing room, my magic started to call to the children. Honestly, I didn't direct it; the magic acted on its own. I didn't know what was happening, but I think I would have taken any of the children, whoever came to me first. But I didn't have to call them, Brevyn was waiting for me.”
“Of course, he was,” I whispered, a shiver going down my spine.
“Brevyn took my hand without me having to enchant him. Then I traced him here, to Jerry. It wasn't until I returned to the battle that I realized what I'd done. I'm so sorry. I'll accept any punishment you see fit.”
“You will not be punished, Zachariel,” Lucifer said to him. To the rest of us, he added, “When Brevyn released the Angels from their vows, it took mere seconds for them to abandon Jerry. That doesn't make sense. Those Angels had served him for centuries. Even without a vow binding them, a few of them should have remained loyal or at least given it some thought. But they didn't; they left him. I believe that Jehovah was using his bond with the Host to control them. He was forcing them to fight today and the sudden release of that control—mid-battle, right in the thick of it—made them realize how much they'd been manipulated.”
“I noticed that too,” I said. “Their loyalties immediately shifted.”
“I felt the release of our bond, but I didn't feel any return of control,” Raphael said.
