Shifting around, I attempt to get comfortable, immediately muttering to myself about the need for some sprucing up if I’m required to sit here for any length of time.
Zion pokes me, ending my quiet grumbling with a pointed look out at the room, with the legion still watching me. I settle in and collect myself as best I can because if nothing else, my ability to fake it until I make it is supreme.
“Is one of those for you?” I ask as I point to the thrones on either side of me.
Zion shakes his head, moving to stand directly beside me. He places a hand on my shoulder as he responds, “No, this is where I belong. Always by your side.”
I pat the back of his hand fondly, then turn my attention to the legion of demons before me. I glance over them, slowly recognizing that they aren’t the same as I originally thought; subtle differences set them apart if only you take a closer look.
“What are they?”
“Repenters,” Zion answers softly. “Sinners on the cusp of redemption.”
“What do they want?”
“To be reborn anew.”
“And how do they do that?” I ask, my eyes taking in each new detail as I continue to watch them.
“By working to restore order to a system overrun by those whose only goal is to cause harm.”
“Who decides when they’re ready?” I ask, even though I know what his answer will be but needing to hear it from someone else’s lips.
“You do.”
Pressing my lips together, I let it sink in, absorbing my newfound power as each demonic presence before me takes shape.
Straightening on the carved stone, I place my hands on the massive etched arms. I lift my head, my gaze steady on the masses before me as they all do the same, creating order where chaos once was.
Quiet energy echoes around them as they wait, and then my voice booms through the silence, “Seek out the Dark.”
And one by one, they go.
THIRTY-NINE
A BIT OF TOMFOOLERY
Zion
“You guys are kinda late,”I say with no small amount of sarcasm. It’s been a day since everything went down, and these two fools have finally decided to make an appearance.
Cornelius glares from his position on the ground, showing me a middle finger since he appears to be unable to speak. Jacob barely moves, a low groan is all the response I get, and I chuckle, knowing exactly how jarring being trapped in a vortex can be.
I give them a few minutes to collect themselves, eventually helping them get back on their feet. They remain wobbly, slowly coming around until they manage to stand on their own, with only a slight tremor in their hands. “How do they expect us to be of use if every time we come down here, we’re incapacitated for an hour?”
“Never mind the fact that it takes us an unknown amount of time to even get here,” Jacob adds with a frown. “Heck of an emergency response team we are.”
“I’ve heard it gets easier the more you do it.”
Both men scowl, obviously not appreciating my lame attempt at being helpful.
Jacob takes a deep breath, the last remnants of discomfort easing as he asks, “Where is she now?”
“With Seamus,” I answer. “She needed a minute to vent.”
Jacob smiles, understanding on his features as he says, “That may take a while, then.”
I nod, my mouth opening to respond, but then Cornelius interjects grumpily, “I bet she gets to come and go as she pleases. No pain, no waiting rooms.”
