Page 67 of Hers to Keep

Shining golden light blazed through the night around them as Willow transformed.People moved away as they took on their natural guise: the body of a winged giant lion, twelve feet at the haunches, with a familiar human head towering above.They shook the ground when they roared.

“The obliteration of the dragons was a crime,” their voice echoed through the night like undistilled wrath.“And the fact that you still won’t admit that you were led by the nose by a handful of incubi shames every one of you and all of your ancestors.”

A few of the angels gasped, but none of them broke formation behind Darveyn.“None of this is germane to the judgment that stands before us,” Darveyn said haughtily.

“No?You are naive to think so.Perhaps there is someone here who can convince you?”Willow looked over their shoulder and bowed with their front paws, face lowering nearly to the ground.“My liege, I beg you to come forward and enlighten your wayward flock.”

Mari looked around, confused who Willow might mean.A murmur passed through the surrounding crowd, and then a path opened up to Mari’s left.

Luis came forward through the space, his gait slow and his expression shuttered.Several of the angels exclaimed at the sight of him, though it was impossible to tell if they were surprised or terrified.“I had not intended to ever reveal myself to you, but since you are determined to make monsters of yourselves once again, it has become necessary.”

Luis spread his arms.Scintillating silver light glowed from every inch of skin.His sorrow and regret propagated through the crowd like waves.When it crashed into the angels assembled before them, several of them burst into tears.Darveyn clenched her jaw, but even she seemed moved.

Mari embraced the emotions, letting them fill her until she ached with the sadness that Luis felt.

“You allowed yourselves to be manipulated into destroying the dragons without ever questioning why the Forest Lord had been removed from his place,” Luis began after a long pause.“Not a single one of you ever asked where I had gone or why.”

He looked over them, his disappointment plain.“I was trapped here by the same ritual that expelled him.Bound to this realm and this place by treachery for hundreds of years, and none of you ever came to look for me.Instead, you claimed my power as your own, murdered an entire species in my name, and called it judgment.I am beyond disgusted.”

Mari stared.Luis was a leader among them?And Willow had known the entire time?She glanced at Dohal, who nodded briefly.That’s what he had meant when he had talked about Luis being a powerful ally to their cause.

“How were we to know, my liege?”Darveyn asked, her voice shaking.All the angels had begun to look uncertain as to who they should defer to.

“Vincent entered into a bargain with them to yoke me, then kept it a secret for all this time.”Luis shook his head slowly.“This woman, who you wish to punish for the sin of acquiring power you disapprove of, freed me by destroying him.She healed me when it shouldn’t have been possible.She lent me her strength when I despaired.”He let out a long and pained sigh.“She showed more compassion for me than any of you.And you would judgeher.”

The silver light intensified until it was nearly blinding, and Luis took his true and magnificent form, a coiled silver snake dozens of feet long with feathered wings in blue and green.The chorus of angels cowered from him in all his glory.

“Fear not, my vassals.My judgement will not be as careless as yours.I will not rend your bodies and shed your blood.I am not the monsters you are.You are cast out.”Luis glared at them as they shrieked and wailed.“You are never to come to this realm or attempt to pursue justice here, or anywhere, again.”

The light of his power flared, and the angels cried out as it swept over them, banishing first their shadows and then their bodies.

Silence settled over the assembled crowd as they stared in shock.

Luis lowered his head so that his immense eyes were even with hers.“Sweet goddess, I cannot make the wrongs of the past right, no one can, but Icansafeguard your future and the future of those you carry.You have my solemn promise that none from the other realms will trouble you and yours while I live.This is your place and yours alone.”

“Thank you.”Mari reached to touch his scaly cheek.“Will you go back to the Heavens?”

“There is nothing for me among them now.The bonds I have here mean more to me than any there.”He paused to consider her with a lingering glance.“Unless you object, I would like to remain here with you.”

Mari hugged as much of his head as she could get her arms around.“I would enjoy that very much.”

Dohal stepped up beside her.“As would I.”He lifted a hand and placed it next to Mari’s.“I look forward to flying through the mountains at your side.And thank you, for providing what justice could be served for my people.”

Luis bobbed his head.“It was the very least that I could do, my friend.I hope you know what they did in my name was not my will.”

“I do.You and I have suffered together, and there should be no animosity between us.We both deserve a chance to heal.”

“I still have a question, if you don’t mind?”Mari asked.

“Of course.”

“If you’re some kind of big shot in the Heavens, how come, when you met the goddess, you made it seem like she wasyourgoddess?I have her memories from while we shared this body, but nothing before that.I don’t understand how you were connected.”

“Ahh.She and I were mates in her last incarnation.”

“Oh,” Mari gasped, mortified that she’d opened that wound without knowing any better.“I’m sorry.I had no idea.”

“There was no way you could know.”He tilted his head.“Her disillusionment was a long, slow process that allowed me to make contingency plans.The shard of her that became you was one that I shepherded before giving it to a human woman for safekeeping.When I saw it in you, I recognized her immediately.”

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