Page 82 of To Crave Truly

“Enough!” My voice boomed around the large Council chamber, stunning the angels into silence.

One of the angels stepped forwards, his white robes trailing behind him. “How dare you raise your voice in—”

“Quiet,” I demanded, stepping closer to the huddle. He immediately closed his mouth, his indignation settling in a pinched brow on his face. “Where is Jegudiel?”

“Not here,” the offended angel snapped.

“I can see that,” I drawled. “I want to know where he is.”

“He is with the Divine One,” another angel added.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I could usually tell when someone was lying, but it was something that didn’t work on angels. They were sneaky when it came to lies. Always omitting something or speaking in half truths.

I also wished I knew what their fucking names were. Something ending in ‘-el’ probably.

“Adriel,” Michael whispered helpfully in my ear.

“Thanks,” I said before turning back to Adriel. He was short with a frantic mess of blonde curls, like he’d been hit with a bolt of lightning, and it had frazzled his edges. He was also young. Too young to be on the Council. “Then I will see the Divine One.”

Adriel shook his head. “Not possible.”

This wasn’t the first time I’d been refused to see the Divine One, and it was starting to worry me. “Why not?”

“Because he expressed a wish not to be disturbed.”

“Adriel, I think you underestimate the seriousness of the situation on the mortal plane. It’s all well and good you sitting here, in your pristine ivory towers, but what happens when chaos ensues and Hell falls? What happens to the Upper Realm and all your pretty towers then?”

He pursed his lips in thought before nodding his head, seemingly having come to some sort of decision. “Come with me.”

Adriel brought us to an antechamber, a small office with views out over the Upper Realm. The place was still quiet, and I found it a little unnerving. There was usually so much energy up here, but it just felt empty.

“Where is everyone?” I asked, as I sat in the chair opposite Adriel.

His expression soured. “No one knows. It’s what the Council were arguing about. Angels and celestials have been disappearing. I believe it’s something to do with Camael and his special task.”

“What task?” Fenris asked before I could.

Adriel’s brow pinched in annoyance. That was angels for you, always looking down their noses at who they considered lesser. Which was basically anyone who wasn’t celestial.

“No one knows,” Adriel clipped. “He’s vanished, along with most of the Guardians.”

Shit. This was bad. The Guardians were supposed to protect the Realm. It was their job to enforce order and protect the Divine One. If they weren’t here, then the Upper Realm was vulnerable. What was Camael doing with Mordecai?

“This is bad, Lucifer,” Michael uttered, bending his head next to mine. The others joined the huddle too.

“Would Camael’s fancy sword be able to separate a witch from their magic?” Saskia asked.

“Yes,” Michael replied. “It can destroy anything.”

Camael’s sword, the Faithkeeper, was a gift from the Divine One. It could kill any kind of being, mortal, immortal, even someone God-like.

“So, if Camael is the one working with Mordecai and separating the witches from their magic, what is he getting out of it?” Edwin asked, his silver eyes dark with apprehension.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.” There wasn’t much a celestial would crave other than to act on behalf of the Divine. Or to smite someone down with righteous zeal.

“Maybe it’s something Mordecai promised him?” Fenris added.

My stomach instantly dropped. I looked at Michael and I could see the same cogs turning in his mind.

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