Page 75 of Redeeming the Angel

We ran from the parlor and out of the palace into the courtyard.

“Thank you,” I panted, realizing I’d been using too many transport spells and needed to get more exercise.“Which duties did you want to discuss?”

“None.”Gabe grinned.“I just knew you’ve been stuck with them for days and probably needed to escape.”

“I did.”I returned his smile with gratitude.“I just want this day and night to end so I can meet Kerainne beneath the bower and become her husband.”

“And we’ll finally be cousins!”Gabe exclaimed.

I smiled fondly at the memory of how he’d followed me everywhere when he was a child, looking at me with eyes full of hero worship.His delight at being told he’d be my cousin someday made him bounce with joy.

Before I could say anything else, bells began to ring everywhere in the city.At first I thought this was another pre-wedding custom like some places on Earth did, until Mother and Aunt Lucretia came running out of the palace, their eyes wide with alarm.

“Medicia is being attacked!”Mother screamed at me.

“Mephistopheles!”Lucretia yelled before anyone could ask.“Come, to the observatory!”

We transported ourselves to the palace’s observatory with the largest scrying sphere in the kingdom.Pollux, the palace record keeper, already had it activated and I froze in horror at the sight of luminites being slaughtered by the Evil One’s army.

“Fates, no…” Mother moaned, gripping Lucretia for support.

“Kerainne,” was all I could whisper with numb lips.

I tried to find her in the chaotic massacre, but the sphere was unable to zero in on one individual.

Gabriel tugged on my arm.“We must save them!”

“We can’t,” Lucretia said firmly.“We’d be cut down too, doing no one any good.Medicia will be taken, but at least the people will return home.Let us go to the welcoming halls to greet them.”

I released my wings.“I’m going to Leonine territory.Kerainne will most likely ascend there.”

Mother nodded.“I’m so sorry, my son.Stay with her as long as you need to before you can bring her to us.”

The welcome halls in Leonine territory were crowded, doubtless because their kin were the most affected by this tragedy.

Gabriel and I forced our way through the one nearest the palace and waited with his parents, who were comforting Queen Silvara and King Consort Marcel as she wept.We waited for hours upon hours.But no one came.Slowly, people began to trickle out of the packed hall, needing food and rest.

My legs were falling asleep, and my stomach growled, but I remained.So did Queen Silvara, who sent servants to bring food to those of us remaining.

We ate in silence, some watching the center of the welcome hall in fading hopes that a luminite would appear, others craning their necks to the door in hopes someone would come in bearing good news.

“I don’t understand.”Gabriel’s voice was thick with desperation and unshed tears.“Shouldn’t they be here by now?”

“Yes.”Silvara choked out.Tears ran freely down her cheeks.“Something is wrong.Verywrong.”

The door opened and the queen’s messenger came in, his face was blanched and pinched.“Medicia is gone.Mephistopheles has taken it.”

“And the dead must have been unable to ascend.”Gabriel’s voice was hollow with despair.

“Then where are they?”I shouted desperately.“Where is Kerainne?Where is my mate!”

“They can’t be dead,” Silvara sobbed.“They’ll come home.We just have to keep waiting.”

But I was done waiting.“I’m going down there.”

Gabriel rose to follow, but I ordered him to stay with his matriarch, who needed comfort as much as she’d need to delegate to her family to keep the kingdom in order until she pulled herself together.

But when I arrived in Aisthanesthai and saw the massive crater that used to be Medicia, I realized I wasn’t together, not at all.I collapsed on the arid ground that should have been covered with lush grasses and clover, and broke down into ugly, hitching sobs.The trees behind me creaked and rustled as dead leaves fell from their boughs.Everything around the crater was dying, and so was my heart.

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