Page 81 of Redeeming the Angel

I’d quickly learned that the poets and writers could go fuck themselves.Dying was almost always not worth romanticizing, unless one you could get that peaceful oblivion from the right drugs.Even then, it still usually sucked.Death by vampire, on the other hand, looked pretty appealing.I wondered if I could get these ones to help me out for the next time I had to visit Luminista.And as I saw the heat in Nik’s eyes as she returned to her husband’s side, I realized that she probably didn’t mind him being a vampire anymore.

Nik, Del, Lucian, and I carried Gabe’s body to the pyre.Technically, Xochitl, Sylvis, and Tiana were supposed to help us too, but none had been raised in luminite culture, so they’d hung back with Zareth.Tanis had remained inside with Beau, Artavian, and Jayden.The vampires made him uncomfortable.

Just as we lit the pyre, magic crackled in the air before there was a flash of golden light.We turned to see Gabriel and thirty luminites standing in the courtyard, including my grandmother and Lucian’s mother and great aunt.Quickly, I put on my crown, cursing myself for almost forgetting.

Xochitl and Zareth approached them hand in hand, their free hands holding their mage staffs.

“Welcome, luminites of Leonine and Jagwolfe clans.”My daughter’s voice rang with power and authority as she inclined her head in a slight bow.

I watched Silvara’s face closely.If she so much as sneered at my daughter, I would…well, I didn’t have the authority to do much, but would still make my displeasure known.

But instead of disdain, Silvara matched Xochitl’s bow and spoke politely.“Queen Xochitl, thank you for willingness to host Leonine and Jagwolfe clans to discuss many important matters.”

I’d expected Lucinda and Lucretia to look at me with disgust.Instead, the pair eyed Lucian and me with speculation.If they tried to meddle in our relationship again, I would not be happy.

The luminites allowed us to lead them into the castle, casting nervous looks at the army of vampires flanking them.We filed into the ballroom and sat at our designated places at the tables arranged in a hexagon so we could all face each other and if one needed to be seen and heard by all they could stand in the center.I ended up on Xochitl’s left side, with Lucian on my right.Delgarias sat on Zareth’s right with Nik on his left and Tiana on her right with Rayven at her left.Sylvis sat on Lucian’s left side with Tanis in between her and Gabriel.The other four vampires framed our other sides, Silas and Anthony on Zareth’s side and Razvan and Radu on Xochitl’s side.

Silvara and Lucretia mirrored the King and Queen of Aisthanesthai.Lucinda, Lucian’s mother, sat across from us, along with his father Roland.Other Jagwolfe and Leonine nobles filled in the rest of their side while the remaining delegation stood behind them, facing the vampires and castle guards behind us.

Pleasantries were exchanged.Some even sounded sincere.The first negotiation was to set Sylvis and Gabriel’s wedding out for a year.While the Jagwolfe delegation tried to argue, Sylvis explained that she hadn’t even had a chance to introduce Gabriel to her own parents yet.Tanis was asked again if he wanted to return to Luminista.Again, he refused.

The luminite water mage stood bravely and declared in a shaky voice, “Queen Kerainne is my matriarch now and Xochitl Leonine is my queen.I’ve pledged my fealty and will aid her in any way I can to help her defeat Mephistopheles.Even if that means marching back into Qua’ al-fán.”

Mention of Qua’ al-fán brought more questions about the other luminites trapped there.Tanis gave a list of everyone he’d seen in those twenty-six years, but, to my shame, I only recognized a few names.Wherever Tanis had been kept, it was away from anyone from the palace or its vicinity.

After that, Tanis was too exhausted to continue.Jayden, who also had a hard time in tense situations involving too many people, left her seat to escort him back to his suite.Zareth motioned for some of the castle guards to go along, doubtless to make sure none of our guests tried to take him away.

Silvara, Lucretia, and Lucinda then shocked us all by offering sincere apologies to Xochitl, Nikkita, and even me.

“We were unaware of the Prophecy and the important roles you three have in its fulfillment,” Silvara told us.“We all want the Evil One gone and our people liberated as much as you do.”

Zareth stood.“Then perhaps Luminista should become closer to Aisthanesthai.With Medicia gone, the bond between our worlds was severed.But when Xochitl came to Aisthanesthai and brought the sun back to this world, she also brought more luminites.”

He gestured at me, Lucian, Sylvis, Gabriel, then Tiana before sitting.

Delgarias stood.“And now the Prophecy has foretold that without an alliance with Luminista, we will lose the war and Mephistopheles will triumph.”

Some of the luminites behind the royals at the table gasped and murmured in alarmed tones.Unfortunately, the matriarchs and their fellow nobles refused to make an alliance with Aisthanesthai and add their considerably powerful forces to the war.

As we’d expected.The discussion continued for what felt like hours.We were at a disadvantage in that we had no way to trade with them because luminites couldn’t bring anything back to Luminista except for themselves.

Then, Gabriel surprised us all by declaring that if they wouldn’t make an alliance, then he’d refuse to sign the betrothal contract and he and Sylvis would remain in Aisthanesthai.Eventually, Silvara and Lucretia compromised, declaring that any willing luminite in their territories had permission to make their own decision to come to Aisthanesthai or Earth to pledge themselves to our cause.

Then it was time for the banquet.I spoke to my grandmother as little as possible, but didn’t object when she asked Xochitl and Tiana questions about their lives and powers.After all, they were family.

After the meal, the matriarchs made Razvan the happiest vampire in the world by asking for a demonstration of Rage of Angels’ music.The shell-shocked faces of the visiting luminites surpassed even my funniest imaginings.As they were not on a nocturnal schedule, they retired for the night before the rest of us.

On her way to her suite, Lucian’s mother dropped a bombshell when she quietly whispered, “When Gabriel freed you from your imprisonment, he didn’t work alone.My son helped him.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lucian

Half the luminite delegation stayed for three nights.The other half departed the following morning to report on the negotiations, the date for Sylvis and Gabriel’s wedding, and, most importantly, spread word that any luminite in Jagwolfe or Leonine territory was welcome to come to Aisthanesthai to join the war against Mephistopheles.

The remainder of the visit was equal parts delightful and frustrating.I enjoyed seeing their reaction to Rage of Angels, and their awkwardness around the vampires.When the proverbial lightbulb lit up above Lucretia’s head that Xochitl and the vampires being Mephistopheles’s creations wasn’t a bad thing, but instead a brilliant display of karma against the Evil One, I grinned in delight as well as understanding.For I too hadn’t realized that fact right away.But though they accepted the vampires as being on the side of good, most of the luminites remained wary about them.Except, strangely enough, for little Kiara.

After watching Lucinda spin molecules into amusing shapes for the gleeful toddler’s amusement, Silas confessed that he’d been worried about the luminites’ reaction to the knowledge that it was possible, albeit only in a lab, for a vampire to have offspring.

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