Page 33 of Far From Center
Chapter 13
“Ithinkmy ribs are broken,” Gabriel complained. “You broke my ribs, Nyalla. Are you sure you’re not a demon?”
He was such a baby. But his complaining was actually rather endearing. “I didn’t break your ribs. You’re not used to dealing with demons. I am. I didn’t want you to screw things up any more than you already had.”
He scowled. As intimidating as it was, his grumpy face was such a turn-on. “I saved you from being sexually assaulted by those two demons. How is that screwing things up?”
She snorted. “That Gormand was more interested in my tuna steak than my breasts. And the skinny one would have run screaming if I’d so much as slapped his face.”
“Hmm. Maybe. I don’t trust them. And I’m not pleased with you suggesting one of them rob a casino ship and swim to safety.”
“Casinos aren’t easy to rob, even the floating ones. I’ve watchedOcean’s Eleven. That Gormand is no George Clooney. And even if he did manage to pull it off, he’ll wind up penniless and naked in a bathtub without his kidney after two hours in Venezuela. I saw that in a movie, too.”
The angel shook his head. “There was a movie where humans were removing vital organs from demons? How did they incapacitate them? Was this a form of punishment? Retribution? Do demon kidneys have a special significance or medical application for humans?”
“Actually the movie had demons taking human kidneys and selling them to other humans who needed them to replace their own failing organs. At the end, the humans had captured the demons and were taking their kidneys in retribution.”
Gabriel let out a long breath. “Oh well then, that’s perfectly acceptable. If this Gormand has been stealing body parts from humans, then having his kidney removed while naked in a bathtub is perfectly appropriate. An eye for an eye, you know.”
“Definitely. I am completely in favor of appropriate punishment.” Nyalla turned to Gabe. “Do you think he’ll produce the angel for our next meeting?”
He narrowed his eyes in thought. “I think the angel will be there. It’s easier for him to show up and close this deal than wait for the Gormand to make another. Plus, I have a suspicion that he wants that collar. And I’m a little concerned what he may intend to do with it, as well as what he hopes to gain by using it.”
“What do you think he wants to do with the collar?” Nyalla asked.
“Use it in a plot to take Aaru,” Gabriel replied without hesitation. “It’s what they all want.”
“But Aaru…” Nyalla looked around and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I know what happened. Sam told me. Everyone is locked out of Aaru.”
“They are, but it was the Iblis that locked us out, and I have the suspicion that the key to our return lies with her.”
“She tried. She tried to gate there, and she also tried the wild gateway in Sharpsburg. She even waved her sword around and cursed a lot. None of it worked.”
The scowl returned to Gabriel’s face. “I’ll bet in a hundred years or so she’ll be blistering her skin with the sun’s rays or rolling in a pile of mud and it will come to her. That’s how things work with Angels of Chaos. It drives me insane. I don’t know how they stand being such slaves to the whims of fate and chance.”
“I hope she eventually gets you all back in.” Nyalla reached out a hand and squeezed Gabriel’s arm. “I know how much Aaru means to you angels. I really hope you get to go home, even if it’s long after I’m dead and gone.”
* * *
Every musclein Gabriel’s body froze, and it wasn’t in reaction to the soft hand on his arm either. She was human. She’d have maybe sixty years left then she’d die. The thought made his insides feel like they were being stabbed with something pointy. “I would like to go back to Aaru,” he said, the words hard to form with his jaw clenched tight. “Although in my current situation, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to return or not. Physical manifestation is not possible for long in Aaru. I’d disintegrate. I doubt with the spell in place if I’d survive it.”
Although Chabriel and his choir had managed for the week they’d been hit with the same spell. And they’d recovered. Maybe he’d recover in the next few weeks. Or months. Or years. And if not, maybe he could still return to Aaru for very short periods of time. Although being in Aaru in a physical form might be more torture than he could stand. His predicament suddenly crashed down on him. He’d lost Aaru, his homeland. He’d lost his wings. He’d lost every one of his angelic powers. He’d never be one with the sea again, never feel that fleeting sense of grace. He’d age. He might even die if the spell didn’t wear off in time. Gabriel put a hand to his chest, his heart galloping out of control, his breath coming in fast, short pants.
“I’m assuming the Gormand will get back to us first thing in the morning,” Nyalla said, breaking him out of his cycle of panic. “He, as well as his client, have to want to wrap this up as quickly as possible. And although demons like to drag things out, I’m sure this guy wants his casino boat trip and his tomatoes.”
Gabriel shifted his focus back to the job at hand. “I hope so. But I want you to be careful around this angel. He’s ruthless, and I don’t want you to get hurt. Just concentrate on getting your deal done, and I’ll handle the angel.”
“Oh you will, will you?” Nyalla shot him a knowing look. “What do you intend to do, stab him with a fork and whack him on the head with a chair? You’re not exactly equipped to apprehend an angel right now.”
Gabriel winced. “Yes, I know. But I can track him, learn who he’s working with and what his next move will be. The only good thing about my predicament is that I’ll be discounted as just another human. Neither Tura nor the Gormand will think twice about inadvertently revealing what their plans are. And once I get my powers back, I’ll make my move.” He gritted his teeth, thinking about whether that would even happen. “And if I don’t get my powers back, I’ll pass the information along to one of my siblings to act in my stead.”
That sad look flitted across Nyalla’s face once more. “Once this is over I’ll talk to a mage I know, I’ll track down the sorcerer who made the wand and find out how long he thinks the effect will be and if there’s anything to mitigate it, or speed up the process. I know because the wand was broken the magical output was greater than the total of spells it held, but you’re an archangel. This can’t be permanent.”
This time he reached out and put his hand on hers. “That’s something for us to worry about later. Right now I’m concerned that you get the artifact and not put yourself in danger doing so. Then after that, my secondary concern is that I find out what Tura is planning, and get enough knowledge to be able to stop him.”
He’d always felt that it was their angelic duty to shepherd the humans toward positive evolution, to ensure they were not derailed by either angel or demon influence, but this woman’s safety was more than that in his mind. Her safety was more important than stopping Tura, more important than keeping Aaru out of the hands of the rebels. One human. Since when did one human life take precedence over the entire angelic host?
“While we’re on that topic.” Nyalla’s voice had an odd tone to it, as if she were about to deliver a lecture. “As much as I appreciate you helping tonight, I’m worried you’ll be recognized by Tura or whatever angel does show up. You’re not exactly a nobody, and although few have probably seen you in a human form, you said that Tura had. I’m sure others have as well.”
