“Show the Angel of Mercy,” Chamuel insisted. “Now.”
The static in my vison began to slow. A picture of Hemah and Uriel came into view. I’d not seen Uriel yet, but It looked very much like Hemah and the being wasn’t Chamuel.
From Chamuel’s gasp, I realized It could see the vision too.
“We shall rule together,” Uriel ground out. “I know your secrets Hemah and I will expose them to the Immortal world if you defy me. I am stronger. I am the mastermind. You will do as I bid or I will destroy you.”
“I won’t kill Chamuel,” Hemah snarled. “Chamuel has done nothing to deserve this. Its demise will bring on the end.”
Uriel laughed. The sound was vicious. “No one said anything about murder. You will follow my plan and trap Chamuel in the cage. It can live out Its simpering existence in exile. We don’t need compassion. All that is needed is logic and vengeance. Great leaders keep their people in line with fear. Together… we are fear.”
“It’s wrong,” Hemah insisted. “I won’t do this.”
“And when did the word wrong enter your vocabulary?” Uriel snapped.
“You know it’s wrong,” Hemah hissed.
Uriel got in Hemah’s face. “You will do it. I know everything Hemah. Everything. If you defy me, you will pay in fire and agony until the end of time. Are we clear?”
Hemah nodded.
The deal had been made.
Chamuel’s hands on my back began to dig in deep. The iciness was creeping into my veins. Shivers wracked my body, but I didn’t let go of Hemah or shake Chamuel off. We were so close to getting what we needed.
The next series of visuals were missing sound, but sound wasn’t needed to understand what was happening. Hemah created two cages unbeknownst to Uriel. It worked methodically and with a rabid and unhinged determination. It was terrifying to watch.
Chamuel’s fingers pressed harder. It was seeing the truth for the first time as well as I was.
Hemah performed a spell that rendered one of the cages invisible. They were next to each other, but only one was visible. The vision jumped to Hemah slicing Its wrists and enchanting the cages with Its blood. Uriel and Chamuel were nowhere to be seen.
I could feel Chamuel trembling with rage behind me and Hemah breaking apart in front of me. I already knew the end of this part of the story. It was obvious. Hemah used Uriel to trick Chamuel into the cage and as soon as Chamuel was trapped, It shoved Uriel into the other. Hemah had double crossed both of the Higher Powers It was supposed to rule with.
Hemah was the last man—so to speak—standing.
The vision played out exactly as I’d predicted. Chamuel cried and begged. Uriel laughed. Hemah said nothing. Not a single word. Although, Uriel didn’t laugh for long. The rage when Uriel realized It had been betrayed was scary to watch. It was just a memory, but I shuddered nonetheless.
“Where?” I ground out. “Where did you take the cages?”
Hemah didn’t answer, but Its memories did. Chamuel’s cage was put in the cave where we’d found it. Crazily, it looked similar then to the way it appeared now, right down to the zamirs and the bones.
I held my breath and waited to see where Hemah had hidden Uriel’s cage. I wasn’t sure how much more of the cold I could stand, but I would happily freeze to death for the information. If I died, Chamuel could lead the rest to Alana Catherine.
No. Shit. I had to get us out of Shitty Ritchie’s freaking mind.
I could do it.
I had to do it.
“SHOW ME,” I shouted, squeezing Hemah’s hands so hard, all the bones crunched and broke.
The vision was spotty, but it was clear enough. The cage was placed in a crevasse in the ground near water. It was dark, desolate and filled with body parts and zamirs. What in the hell was wrong with Hemah? How could someone be this evil?
“I know where that is,” Chamuel said, releasing my shoulders.
I dropped Hemah’s hands and fell backwards. As my blood began to flow again, I gasped. It felt like sharp tiny daggers were tearing every vein and artery in my body open. I sucked in a huge breath and willed myself not to scream. The pain was intense, but I’d gotten what I came for. No pain, no gain. It just sucked that the pain was almost debilitating.
Jennifer and Shitty Ritchie were on me like white on rice. Both wrapped me in their warm embraces and massaged my burning limbs.
