The Impact (Book II)

Mutiny

I wasn't lying on a bed like I expected to be. Nor was I in the forest. I was somewhere damp, where it reeked of mildew. My wrists were shackled to the wall, and my ankles were chained together. That sharpened my initial bleariness and I lifted my head. I gritted my teeth when I moved and felt the wound on my back flare up.

"Surprised it has not healed yet? That Human-Turned-Demon was poisonous and it destroys the cells before they can begin to regenerate. At least, that is what Miss Orlene had said." Joel's voice startled me and I looked straight ahead.

To my shock, he was shackled to the wall, too. His clothes were torn and filthy and his beautiful face was scratched. He smiled humorlessly at me. "You should see the look on your face right now."

"Joel? What are you doing down here? Where is 'here' anyway?" I asked hoarsely.

He straightened up, his chains clinking as he did so. "Heaven. Well, Heaven's dungeons. My true nature came to light and my adviser, the Angel of War, staged a coup. Most of my angels turned on me and locked me down here. The ones who stood beside me are now either dead or imprisoned as well. Now Amir has proclaimed himself God and I await 'trial,' though I know what' is in store for me."

At the last part, he made a slicing motion with his hand as close as he could get it to his throat. My brain ached and my voice rose with my fear as I asked, "Where's Will and the children? What happened?!"

"Oh, they are down here somewhere, I imagine. Heaven's dungeons are quite extensive, you know, but I have not had much use for them so I have no clue just how large they are."

He quieted for a few minutes as an armored Archangel meandered by carrying a spear. As he walked by our cells, I could hear other voices loudly and incoherently protest and beg.

"Now then. As for what happened. Emily came to Heaven, unfortunately at the very end of the coup and pleaded for angels to come with her to save her family. That the Demon Queen herself was nearby and a Human-Turned-Demon was attacking. As you know, Zach and Emily do not smell...right. Amir demanded to know who her family was and when she told him who Will was, the Angel of Truth, who also dished out my dirty little secret, told Amir about the rest of her family. Emily was put in chains with me and Amir sent a couple of Archangels down to clean up the mess under the orders to bring the rest of you here as well." Joel explained.

As I listened, fear thumped through my veins. We had been found out by Heaven? What was going to happen now?

"Looks like they're coming," Joel murmured before falling silent altogether.

Four Archangels emerged from the darkness. I recognized none but a rangy red haired Archangel, who looked hauntingly familiar. The only difference was he was easily taller than Will by a good several inches, making him just a little over seven feet tall. His hair, a duller shade than Will's brilliant crimson, was cut short.

One unlocked my cell door and the redhead lumbered in, ducking his head as he did so. I shrank away from him as he unlocked my wrists but kept my ankles chained together. He heaved me to my feet, ignoring my sharp inhalation of pain, and gripped me by my bicep.

I was placed in between the angels as they led me up several flights of stairs and into the bright halls of Heaven. I squinted as I was herded down the long corridors. There were no other angels in sight and the corridors were so silent I could hear the blood running through my veins.

The throne room had not changed much since I had last been in it. The Archangels escorting me withdrew from me and left me to stand in the very center of the room, surrounded by Angels. The Steel-toed Angel, the one who beat me my first visit, lounged in Joel's throne like it was his, a sight that, oddly enough, angered me. He did not have his helmet on, revealing a middle-aged face covered in the telltale lightning scar, narrow silver eyes, and a stern mouth.