Lineage of Zeal, Book One: Rosemary

Chapter Twenty-eight: Fallout

The footsteps were growing in volume. From the irregular, cacophonic sound of it, there were many armored men on approach. Rosemary was running out of time.

"Lavender," Rosemary called, reaching a hand toward the angel, for she found herself unable to move much more than that. "How is he?"

Lavender held Leviticus in her arms, and smoothed his sweat-matted hair down. "He's in shock," the angel said. "He's not responding to me, but he's stopped flailing."

"Will he be alright?"

Lavender huffed, indignant. "He lost his wings. Don't you know what that means?"

"Tell me. And do it fast. We're out of time."

Lavender looked down at Leviticus, then back up at Rosemary. "It means he's powerless. He'll still be stronger than a human, but as far as angels are concerned, he might as well be human."

Rosemary covered her eyes with a hand. "It's that serious?"

"Yes."

"Can you still fly?"

"I should be—"

"Carry him and get out of here."

"But I don't know if—"

"I wasn't asking! Hurry up and go."

"Okay!" Lavender ducked her head under Leviticus's arm and attempted to stand, but his limp limbs were dead weight. She had difficulty getting both the incubus and herself on their feet and in motion.

"Get going already!" Rosemary urged.

"I'm trying!" Lavender shouted back. Dragging the body of Leviticus with her, the angel approached the edge of the platform and looked down. Far below them was the rest of the Grand Cathedral and Holy City Celus. If she couldn't get Leviticus to cooperate, they might become part of that scenery, a tan and purple smear on the stonework.

Then Leviticus straightened up and hugged Lavender tight about the waist, burying his face in her chest. "Please, please, don't let me go. Kiyohime, don't go. It hurts, don't go."

Lavender sighed, then began to say something but caught herself. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Leviticus and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll never let go." And together, they flew from the Place Closest to the Creator.

"About time," Rosemary said, laying her head back so that all she saw was the partially destroyed dome above her. "Now we just need to deal with them."

"Leave that endeavor to me," Courtney said as he leaned over Rosemary, looking into her eyes. "This is one fight I have the power to win."

As the owners of the footsteps filed into the room, Courtney rose to greet them. Ten Silver Wolves lined up on one side of Rosemary and Courtney, though the last two detached to see to Firenzie, and ten Golden Lions took the other side. The last person to exit the stairwell, Courtney was not at all surprised to see; it was the Grand Father of the Faith.

Courtney bowed deeply at the figure who approached and waited until the Grand Father stood before him before he straightened his back and greeted the holy man. "It is an honor, Grand Father Reuben, that you grace us with your presence."

The Grand Father, in the process of lowering the hood of his gold-trimmed red robe, exposing his thinning gray hair, paused at the mention of the name Reuben. "The Creator be with you as well, Courtney Delouise deGratia. Your father has requested I retrieve you, my Prince."

"I'm sure he has," said Courtney, nodding in acknowledgment. "But would you not like an explanation as to why this, the Grand Father's private realm, is in such a state, Grand Father Reuben?"

The Grand Father cleared his throat. "That rogue monster must have come through here, yes? That must be what happened."

"Dybbuks have the power of flight and fire now, do they? I had no idea."

"You blasphemer!" the Grand Father cried, and the eighteen men surrounding Courtney and Rosemary drew their weapons and leveled them at the prince. "How dare you speak lies in this holy place! Seize him!"

"The boy who razed Warrenton was here," Courtney said, and the men around him became still. "Mikhail, that child demon, was here. Those piles of ash are his doing. One of them is your son, Lord Father Daniel McLaughlin. Another is Lord Father Vargas, who happened to be a demon by the name of Varulv."

The Grand Father raised a hand, and his guards lowered their weapons. Then, he turned to Firenzie. "My daughter, is this true?"

"No!" Firenzie cried out, struggling against the two Silver Wolves who held her.

"You see, even my daughter—"

"No, he's not my father! Keep him away! He's a demon! A demon killed my father! Lord Vargas, help me!"

The Grand Father began to wring his hands as murmurs broke out among his men.

"Do not listen to her!" he said, his voice cracking. "She's obviously been traumatized and her mind addled by what happened here! Losing the man you look up to and your older brother all at once would be enough to do that, surely."

"So you will take my word," Courtney said, hiding his spreading grin behind a hand.

The Grand Father looked at his men, then at Rosemary on the floor, then at the eyes that peered from behind Courtney's spread fingers. "What is it you desire, Prince Delouise?"

"Suggest to my father that I be put under house arrest for no less than one year for gallivanting about the countryside without regard for my princely duties. Also, this woman will be transported to the castle and her wounds tended. Once she recovers, she will be placed in the dungeons of Castle Gratia indefinitely for the crime of spiriting away a prince, not the dungeons of the Faith for the purpose of unbeautiful experimentation on supposed demons. If my father desires the death sentence for her crimes, make it known to him that I owe my life to her many times over for the protection she has granted me over the course of our travels. If you find any of this to be to your distaste, Grand Father Reuben, know that I have knowledge of the Faith my father would not be pleased to hear. You should also keep in mind that Mikhail would be less than forgiving were he to find that you were the reason he could not have the 'fun' he seeks."

The Grand Father's hand whipped up and the soldiers filed down the stairwell. Once they, with Firenzie in their custody, cleared from the platform, the Grand Father stepped directly in front of Courtney, placed a hand on the prince's shoulder, and leaned in next to his ear.

"I do hope Mikhail assigns me to watch you," The Grand Father whispered in a voice more youthful than he was using prior. "No one reveals me. I am the perfect copy." Turning on his heels, the Grand Father lifted the hem of his gold-trimmed robes and stormed off after his soldiers.

Alone, Courtney's legs gave way and he collapsed beside Rosemary, gasping. "I did it, did I not? I was useful to you. Now we will not have to worry over being hunted. You will have time to heal, and I will have time to set up correspondence across Gratia, looking for these Embodiments. You approve of this, yes?"

Rosemary's eyes were closed. The rise and fall of her chest was shallow, but regular.

There was a smile on her face.