“You are always welcome here, Mercy, you know that. You have only to ask and I will see to your… comforts, myself.”
Swallowing back the wave of revulsion that sprang from his words and the way his eyes dipped to my body, I was dismayed to find the slightest glow emanating from my skin. The implied threat triggered a memory of how I’d last enjoyed Raum’s personal care, causing my Grace to react.
“Sorry, Raum, she won’t be staying,” Adam replied before I could find the right words, and it was enough of a distraction for me to find my tongue again.
“Actually, I hoped to speak to you about re-negotiating the terms of your deal with Adam.”
“What are you doing?” Adam hissed, but Raum sat forward, clearly interested.
“No, no, I’d like to hear what she wants to bargain with.”
In for a penny, in for a pound…
“Adam only made this agreement to keep me safe in the first place, and I don’t think it’s fair that he went over my head. I should have the right to make the same bargain, shouldn’t I?”
“Like hell you do,” Adam growled. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Shh, the grown-ups are talking now,” I patted his cheek condescendingly, he deserved it after all. “I propose you let me serve out the rest of his sentence, and I’ll… serve you without complaint if you let Adam and Ben go right now.”
“Surely
some
complaint…” Raum grinned, and I shrank away from the streak of cruelty I saw there.
“If you like, my lord,” I nodded shortly, but Adam stepped up, physically putting himself between Raum and me.
“No way. We already settled this, Mercy has no part in it,” he insisted with a baleful glare, and for a moment I couldn’t tell who he was angrier with, me or Raum.
“Truth be told I find her proposal intriguing,” Raum considered aloud. “I do admit, I have missed your delightful responses, m’lovely.”
“No deal,” Adam insisted. “I won’t go if you keep Mercy.”
“Fine, then I’ll keep both of you,” Raum waved dismissively. “You do have a certain raw power I find invigorating, but nothing compares to the sweetness of your lady love. Think of all the fun we could have together…”
Oh God, that was not what I’d had in mind at all! Thankfully Adam wasn’t about to go for it either.
“That violates the terms of our agreement.”
“So it does.” Raum’s head canted to one side as he made a show of thinking it over. “But then, perhaps given this new development it’s a good time to alter it.”
“I won’t stay here willingly if you do.”
Raum shrugged, unconcerned. “I think the odds are
slightly
in my favor.” A quick glance showed more guards came to flank the sides of the court, more than Adam could manage, even with my help.
“I don’t think I have to remind you what I’m capable of,” Adam flexed, the shining sword appearing with a metallic snick. “I think I’ve been more than tolerant of your treatment so far, but don’t mistake my compliance for weakness. Now, I’m prepared to honor the original terms of our agreement as long as Mercy leaves unharmed. Do we have an accord?”
“No!” I insisted, my own sword appearing with a flick of the wrist. “We both go, or we start playing demon shish kabob.”
“Mercy, let me handle this,” Adam murmured out of the corner of his mouth.
“Why, so you can put yourself back in servitude to that guy? No way. I told you, I’m not leaving here without you. So stop contradicting me and back me up for chrissakes!” My eyes blazed, prepared to fight Adam myself to make him get with the program.
Equally as stubborn, maybe more so, Adam whirled to face me. “That’s not going to happen! Now stop acting like a child and leave while you can.”
“I do so hate it when mummy and daddy fight.” Oriana stepped out from behind the throne and Raum giggled, eating up our little spat like we were the best entertainment he’d had in months. The pale witch wore one of her simple shifts, feet bare, her long white hair hanging in twin plaits down her back, making her look more like a little girl than a woman.
“Come and have a seat, the fireworks are about to begin,” Raum bade her, and the slight witch took a seat at his feet on the cold, stone steps.
“More than you know,” she murmured, her eyes growing wide with surprise.
“Perhaps I may be of assistance.” I heard a deep voice behind me, and my eyes closed in defeat. How many other ways could things go wrong?
Raziel strode into the demon court, head held high, giving no sign he’d willingly entered dangerous surroundings.
“Now we’ve got a party,” Raum clapped his hands together delightedly.
“I offer myself in Adam’s stead. A year and a day of service, in exchange for his freedom. Mercy, of course, would be allowed to leave unhindered, as she is guaranteed amnesty as per the terms of the original agreement.”
“That’s not what we agreed on,” I gasped at the offer. When we talked about using him as bait, it had been as a diversion. I’d never intended for him to even set foot in Midian, let alone offer himself up like that.
“I think it sounds fair enough,” Adam met Raziel with a steely gaze. “It’s the least he can offer after everything he’s done. In fact, I think it has a kind of simple poetry to it,” he grinned.
“Adam, you can’t mean that. Raziel has nothing to do with this. You can’t let him suffer because of us.” I lowered my voice. “Let’s just fight our way out. Together, the three of us stand a real chance.”
“I’m sorry, how do you even know the guy?” Adam hissed. “You wanted me to leave with you, this gives us a perfect out. That prophecy doesn’t say anything about doom and gloom if Mr. Shiny Britches over there stays down here, does it?”
“Well… no.” The prophecy mentioned a fallen angel triggering the evil, not a regular angel. We had to assume no bad would come from Raziel remaining in Midian, apart from the whole personal danger to him.
“And you said his bosses sent him down here to fix the situation right? So, let him fix it, and we can be home in time for dinner.”
“Mercy…” Raziel’s voice was gentle, and I pulled my gaze from Adam. “Adamiel speaks the truth. I was dispatched to keep the prophecy from coming to fruition, this is my fate. Let me take Adam’s place here, I am not afraid.”
“No, you don’t have to do this!” I insisted, taking his hand and drawing him away, though I was reasonably sure they could have heard us if they wanted to. “Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but we’ll find another way. Take it from me, you don’t want to be Raum’s chew toy for the next year. This is my mess, I’m the one who should clean it up. I should stay and you can get Adam and Ben out of here safely.”
Raziel’s lips curved into a sad smile. “So generous of spirit. This is what I’ve come to admire about you, my lady. If there was ever a doubt of your worthiness to carry the Grace, this would surely dispel it. No, this duty falls to me, you have others to accept that bear far greater importance.”
“But…”
“It is done,” he shook his head, and I shot a helpless look to Adam who looked far too pleased with the change in plans. “Will you accept my benediction?”
“Your… okay…” my mouth snapped shut, not quite sure what to expect. In my younger days at church, a priest usually followed that up with a shaker thing of holy water and a few pretty words.
I was wholly unprepared when Raziel placed a hand over my heart and I felt the surge of his Grace go through me. No… not go through me, his Grace coalesced within me, mingling with my own strange mix. I felt the power swell inside, radiating from my core down to the tips of my fingers and toes until my entire body thrummed with energy. In that moment I realized he’d shared a part of himself with me, but instead of the healing I’d received from Sam or the love I’d felt from Adam, I could only stare at him, wondering why he’d do such a thing when he would need every scrap of his Grace to deal with Raum?
The crowd gave an audible gasp of longing over the display of Grace, but I was too stunned to worry overmuch about a stampede in their eagerness to get a taste for themselves. Thankfully, they seemed to be a little stunned themselves, watching to see what would transpire next.
“Why did you do that?” I breathed, clinging to his arms when a wave of dizziness swept over me.
“It wasn’t for you,” Raziel whispered for my ears only, kissing the air over my wrists a final time.
“Hey, what the hell is this? Mercy, are you alright?” Adam tore me from his grasp, hauling me up against his side.
“I’m fine, I’m just a little woozy.” I knew I should try and ground myself, but somehow the idea of centering myself in Midian creeped me out. More unsettling was the idea that I now had a third angel’s Grace inside of me. Did I have an invisible sign around my neck that said ‘deposit Grace here’?
“I simply thought it a better use for my Grace than to have it languish here.”
“You know that’s forbidden,” Adam frowned, his arm still wrapped tightly around me.
“It didn’t stop you though, did it?” Raziel gave him a crooked grin. “Take care of her, she has a long road ahead, and it will get more difficult to traverse from here on.”
“I know how to protect what’s mine…”
“Okay, guys…?” I interrupted before the testosterone fest got so cloying one of us might choke. “We’re not out of the woods yet. Demon court, crazy demon lord who wants to eat us all for dinner… ringing a bell?”
Right on cue, Raum cleared his throat, drawing our attention. “A very interesting turn of events, but I have not given my sanction to this plan.” He was right, nothing was set in stone, not yet. There was time still to maybe renegotiate, or fight our way out. Only I stood a lousy chance of changing anything with both Adam and Raziel on board with the proposed switch.
“Decisions, decisions, what am I to do, my pet?” Raum bent his head as Oriana leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Indeed?” his eyes widened in surprise and he looked far too smug as he returned his attention to our little group. “Very well, you find me in a generous mood. I accept the exchange, take the girl and go,” he waved us off.
“Then I accept,” Adam nodded curtly. “Come on, Mercy, let’s get out of here before his changes his mind.” The arm wrapped around me tugged, but I dug in my heels.
“Wait, what about Ben?”
“Your friend was not discussed when you re-negotiated the terms,” Raum smiled wolfishly, and my heart sank.
“Adam, we can’t leave without him, he’s half the reason I came down here in the first place.” Maybe a less urgent half, given the prophecy, but an important half nonetheless.
“We need to keep him here for our own safety, remember? It’s the only way to keep Azazael safely bound.”
“No, we really don’t,” I whispered, refusing to let myself be led away, and a pucker of worry appeared on his brow.
“What are you up to?”
“This isn’t the time or place to get into it, but we’ve got it covered. We need to get Ben topside.” I turned back to Raum, raising my voice. “Look, as I understand it, you agreed to keep Ben here as a favor, right? That wasn’t part of the agreement for Adam to stay here in order to keep me safe. Well, we don’t need you to do that anymore, so we’ll just be taking him, okay?” I nodded encouragingly, but Raum shook his head with a mournful sigh.
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple m’lovely. You’re right, it wasn’t a part of the original deal, otherwise I’d let him go now that your guardian angel has offered himself in Adamiel’s place. Now then, if you’d like to offer yourself in his place for say… two years?”
“The hell she will,” Adam growled, and I reached for his hand out of habit, sending him a small pulse of calming Grace. It was easier to manage, Raziel’s strength giving me added control.
“Well then, travel safe, you’re always welcome to come for a visit any time you like,” he waved dismissively, and that time I let Adam drag me backwards, not knowing what else I could possibly offer Raum in exchange.
It felt like everything was falling apart. Sure, I had Adam back by my side, but now both Ben and Raziel were left behind… How could I be expected to leave under those circumstances? The decision was taken out of my hands though, as Adam tugged me towards the shadows where Nelo waited, immediately popping us to a different part of the palace.
“We have to get him out,” I whispered once we had left the formidable structure. “Is he being held in the dungeon?”
Nelo opened his mouth to reply, but Adam cut him off. “Absolutely not. We’re leaving before you end up landing us in the dungeon right beside him.”
“But Adam…”
“No buts, I’m not having this conversation with you here. Now we’re either doing this the easy way or the hard way.”
I didn’t need three guesses to figure out what the hard way was, so I gave him a single nod, my lips compressed into a thin line. He seemed like he was in a surly mood, not glad to see me at all, and my mood was no better for having to leave Ben behind, so there was little conversation on the way back to the tunnels.
When Adam did speak, I almost wished he’d decided to keep giving me the silent treatment. “What the hell is up with you and Raziel anyway?”
“What?” I blinked, not tracking what he meant right away, since my thoughts were a zillion miles away, trying to plot how we were going to break Ben out once we got Adam to safety.
“I didn’t even know you knew him and now he’s gifting you with his Grace? Just what the hell happened since I left?”
He made it sound like I’d been carrying on with Raziel while he’d been gone, and I didn’t appreciate the accusatory tone in his voice. “Nothing, I promise. I have no idea why he did that.”
“A piece of his Grace… that’s not like a goodbye hug, Mercy. That’s a part of himself. He’ll never be as powerful as he once was.”
“I’m telling you, I have no idea. He said it wasn’t for me. And you heard him, maybe he didn’t want Raum to get such a big high out of feeding from him while he’s down in Midian? For all I know he’ll ask for it back when his year is up,” I shrugged and I could see Adam hadn’t made peace with the idea.
“You know who he is, what he took from me.”