Lucca (40 page)

“Stay back,” he warned her, pointing a shaky
finger at her. “I will not be tricked.”

“It’s okay.” She waved her hand at him. “It
isn’t a trick. Your arm, Lucca, Barachiel’s tattoo led us to
you.”

He glanced at his arm, but he wouldn’t
believe it. “The Archangel would not come for me.”

“No, but I would. I would, Lucca.” She moved
closer. Her scent washed over him, filling him. He closed his eyes
and breathed her in. Kasadya couldn’t conjure up Juliet’s scent,
could he?

He snapped his eyes open. She stood before
him, her eyes pools of green as she held back tears. She glanced at
the blood splattered on the wall behind him, still wet from his
last beating. “What happened in here?” Her gaze slid over him.
“You’re unhurt.” She shook her head not understanding why there
were no wounds when blood pooled at his feet.

Speak, he told himself, but the words
wouldn’t leave his lips.

“He’s been healed so the torture could last
longer,” Raziel entered the room to stand beside her. “The blood
you see is his.”

The cries outside diminished but the
pounding in Lucca’s head wouldn’t stop. He covered his ears. He had
to block out the vision before him. Juliet wasn’t real. She
couldn’t be here.

“We’re going to take you home.” Juliet
touched him, her warmth welcoming after so much cold, but he
recoiled. “

I am not weak.”

“It’s okay,” she told him. “You’re safe now,
Lucca.”

Raziel stood next to Juliet as he stared at
Lucca. “His body is healed, but he must have his mind healed as
well. If it isn’t, he will go mad.”

“Do it.” She nodded. They didn’t have much
time. The others were holding off the forces, but they had to move
fast and get out of here.

Raziel grabbed hold of Lucca. His hands
clasped his head. “Look at me he demanded. Lucca shook his head,
trying to resist. “Look at me,” Raziel’s voice was soothing, but it
held the steely force that couldn’t be denied. Lucca’s hands fell
away and he opened his eyes and stared at Raziel, but the calmness
didn’t last. Raziel’s hands glowed bright, heat radiated from his
palms. Lucca’s screams of agony tore at Juliet’s heart, but she
knew Raziel had to complete the ritual.

When Lucca went limp, Raziel helped him to
the floor and he waved Juliet over. She ran to him, wrapping her
arms around his large shoulders. She looked up at the Archangel.
“Can you release the chains?”

Raziel nodded. His hand waved over the
shackles and the silver cracked and broke away, falling to the
side. Lucca shifted his weight. His hand gripped her arm as he
leaned into her, his head resting on her chest. “You came for me.
How?”

“I’m not alone. Zaiden, Gideon, Eli, they
all helped. Blaize and Sarice are here too.”

He pushed away then, her words inflaming his
anger once again. “You lie then. I knew this wasn’t true.”

She scrambled to her feet and looked at
Raziel. “I thought you healed him.”

“As much as I could. It will take time.”

“We don’t have time.” She lifted her hands.
“Lucca, this is real. You have to trust me. Trust what we have. You
know me. You… my scent. You know my scent. Breathe it in and tell
me I’m not real.”

“It’s a trick.”

“Raziel…” she trailed off not knowing what
she expected him to do.

“Use what you told me the Elder Chaz gave
you?”

“What? Now? He doesn’t trust me. I
can’t—”

“Freeing his wings will release his glamour
and heal him faster. Do it now.”

Raziel shimmered over to Lucca, pinning him
down. Lucca struggled to be free, his eyes locking onto Juliet,
thinking she betrayed him, but she didn’t stop, didn’t hesitate. “I
love you,” she told him as she drove the crystal dagger into the
soft area above the collarbone. Energy burst from the dagger,
throwing Juliet back, slamming her against the far wall. Raziel was
thrown in the other direction.

Juliet sat up and crawled to her feet. Lucca
convulsed, his body jerking. “Lucca?” The dagger hadn’t work. She’d
killed him. Raziel came to her side, stopping her from going to
him.

“Wait. Give it time,” he told her.

Another burst of light, made her lift her
arm to cover her eyes. When she chanced a look, her mouth dropped
opened.

Lucca stood, his wings spread wide, lit with
beauty, the colors vibrant and alive with shades of bronze, copper,
and midnight blue.

“Seems he does love you after all,” Raziel
said and released her.

Juliet ran to Lucca, falling into his arms.
“Juliet.” Her name sounded like a prayer on his lips. He held her
tight and his wings feathered around her, draping over her with
warmth.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Lucca waited for Juliet in the hall. She
wanted a moment alone with Owen to prepare him for his first
meeting in the Grand Hall. The Archangels would be present, a first
in Grigori history. He had missed some of what went down, but
Juliet and Blaize filled him in on the missing details.

Kasadya alluded their attempts for capture,
escaping while he left his Shadow demons to fight the Watchers, a
battle they could not win when two Archangels had joined the fight.
The Archangels would go after Kasadya, but a league of Warriors on
earth’s realm would run their own recon, reporting any activity
that would point to the Satan.

The witch, Lana, had fallen off the radar,
too. She was a clever witch, but she couldn’t hide forever. She’d
have to resurface eventually. When she did, they would bring her to
justice.

Lucca’s father on the other hand had not
been so lucky. Arizul would have to face the charges brought
against him, not only under the Grigori law, but with the laws of
Heaven as well. He time traveled, causing the portal imbalance that
set Kasadya free. His punishment for the crimes was to be dealt
with today.

“We’re ready,” Juliet announced, stepping
into the hallway with Owen.

He took her hand, walking down the corridor.
The stone walls bore the ancient arts from centuries past. He’d
walked these halls a million times and more, but today every
detail, every tapestry and painting stood out, revealing a past he
didn’t want to linger in anymore. He had a new life.

Two guards stood at the large doors that
stood ajar. The last time he’d been in the hall it had been for his
sentencing. His wings fluttered in response to the memory.

“Are you all right?” Juliet leaned near and
whispered her concern.

He looked at her. Her sun-kissed hair
gleamed, the light from the sconces reflecting the warmth on each
strand. Her smooth skin was only heighted with a light shade of
blush, her long lashes enriched by a stroke of dark mascara.
“You’re beautiful. Have I ever told you that?”

“Yuck,” Owen mumbled under his breath.

Juliet ignored Owen’s opinion and smiled.
She shook her head. “No, and thank you.” She slid her hand into
his. “Everything is going to be all right, you know.”

He gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Shall
we?” He nodded toward the doors.

Juliet and Owen stood at his side as they
entered. Candles were lit giving off more light, but it didn’t
eliminate all the shadows. Lucca looked straight ahead as they made
their way to the front. The intoxicating scent of Brugmansia hit
his nostril. Two bushes sat near the elders’ thrones, one by each
chair. The flowers on the bush were in full bloom—beautiful and
lethal all in one.

Eli and Ryden had saved a place for them.
Blaize, Sarice, Zaiden, and Gideon sat at the other end of the pew.
They all had come to his aid when he thought they would not. He
gave them a bow of respect before sitting down beside Juliet. She
linked her arm through his and leaned against him.

Arizul stood before Elder Chaz and his wife,
the Elder Lielal. Arizul was bound, looking haggard and defeated.
His wings sagged behind him, but appearances could be deceiving.
Fire still blazed behind the irises of his eyes. He pinned his look
on Lucca before he shifted his gaze to Juliet then to Owen. His
hands closed into a fist as if he’d like to strike the boy.

“You’ll never touch him,” Lucca told him,
drawing his father’s gaze to him.

Arizul’s condescending laugh only egged him
on. “My own flesh and blood revels in protecting humans who are
beneath us.” His gaze shifted to Juliet in Lucca’s embrace. “Kill
me now so I may not see this disgrace.”

“So be it.” Lucca separated himself from
Juliet’s warmth and stood. Grigori law stated if one of the Fallen
lashes out with intent to harm, the victim could exact a just
punishment in retaliation. Lucca withdrew his blade.

“Halt!”

Lucca turned to see the Archangel Michael
striding down the aisle, his red robe flying behind him. “You will
stand down.” His gaze centered on Lucca, demanding his compliance.
His wings were a magnificent color of light, shimmering like jewels
with each step.

The Archangel Raphael followed behind
Michael, his robe a crimson shade with gold threads tightly woven
in the trim. His wings were beige, gold and amber.

The Archangel Gabriel’s robe contained
different shades of blue with silver threads weaved throughout the
fabric. The robe complimented his iridescent wings tinged with blue
that sparkled like ice crystals beneath the soft glow of the
sconces.

Barachiel, and Raziel had entered the hall
now, too.

Lucca sheathed his dagger. The Heaven’s
guards could not be ignored.

Arizul met Michael’s gaze. “Don’t you see
what I’ve had to deal with down here? My son’s disloyalty,” he
added just in case the Archangels didn’t know his meaning. “All I
did for you, Lucca, has made you the male you are today. I made you
strong. You were the best warrior when you didn’t let
human
’s
feelings invade your
conscience.”

“I like my human feelings.” He wiped the
back of his mouth with his other hand, tasting the blood in his
mouth. His fangs had bitten through his lower lip. “Makes me a
better male than you.”

Lucca’s father sneered. “You never learned.
No matter how I tried to beat it out of you. You never learned. You
wanted to save the girl. You wanted to save the poet who wrote his
own death warrant.”

Lucca lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I
guess you couldn’t beat the human essence out of me after all.”

“No, I couldn’t.” Disgust rang in his words.
He then looked at Michael. “Take me away from here. The sight of
him makes me ill.”

“Oh, you will come with me. I have no plans
of leaving you behind.”

“What of the boy,” Barachiel demanded,
pointing his finger at Owen.

Michael’s large shoulders lifted in a shrug.
“What about him?”

“You can’t leave him here.”

“I can see no reason why we cannot.” His
eyes softened as he gazed at Juliet. “He has someone who loves
him.” Michael directed his attention to Lucca then. “And he has one
of his own kind to teach him to live among the humans. It was meant
to be.”

Michael turned his attention back to Arizul.
“As for you, Arizul, your punishment will be just. You will to be
frozen in time, never moving forward, but you’ll be aware of what
passes you by.” Michael looked at Gabriel and gave him a slight
nod.

“No.” Arizul shook his head and backed away.
He held up his bound hands as Gabriel let the magic pour from his
fingertips, water sprayed in an arch of sparkling sheen, spilling
over Arizul and freezing on contact. Arizel’s arm stood frozen over
his face as if he could stop the onslaught of his punishment.

Michael turned toward Barachiel, who stood
tall. Only the dimming of Barachiel’s yellow eyes told Lucca the
Archangel had been defeated at his own game.

“You will return to Heaven. Your quest is
over here,” Michael gave the order.

Barachiel looked as if he liked to refuse,
but he clamped his mouth shut and nodded. “So be it.” With a wave
of his hand, electricity crackled in the air and the Archangel
disappeared in a blaze of bright light.

Raziel stepped forward now. His head bowed
in reverence. “I accept what punishment is meant for me.”

Michael breathed in deeply and let it out
again. Sadness laced his expression as if the punishment in store
for Raziel pained him. “You will have to answer for pleasuring
yourself with a human woman when you knew it was forbidden.”

Raziel gave Michael a direct look and didn’t
falter. “Marie Romeo meant more than a warm body to lie against.
She carried my beloved son.” His gaze wavered to Owen, affection
radiating from the depths of his silver-blue eyes. He spoke the
truth on that account.

“Did Marie Romeo awaken your soul?”
Michael’s voice lowered, his gaze leveling on Raziel as he waited
patiently for the answer.

Lucca realized he understood the question
Michael asked. He’d felt it. The warm glow of Juliet’s love took
away the darkness in his heart. He wondered if Eli had experienced
the same. He leaned forward in the pew and found Eli looking his
way. He didn’t have to ask. The recognition shone in the depths of
Eli’s eyes.

Lucca looked toward Raziel then, but instead
of elation lighting the Archangel’s eyes, shame shadowed them.
Raziel lowered his head. “No, Marie was not my soul mate, but I did
care for her. I did love her as much as I was capable of
doing.”

Michael’s feet took motion, pacing as he
thought over Raziel’s confession. “Angels are beings of great
passion and our emotions are more intense than humans. We love and
hate with all our being.” Michael addressed the hall, looking out
to the masses seated in the pews. “Preternatural beings are not
soulless creatures.”

Whispers rose, but Michael did not quiet
them. He waited patiently. When the room fell silent once more, he
continued. “But our souls are not exposed and vulnerable as a human
soul is. Ours is locked away, leaving us sometimes without a
conscience. There will be temptations.” It was subtle, but Michael
casted a look at Sarice and Zaiden as if the warning was meant for
them.