Page 174 of Living Legend

Markus wiped his hands down the front of his jacket and quickly swiped a hand through his hair, collecting himself. He sidled up next to Nick before he continued. "Intimacy between our kinds was always bound to happen, but it hadn't between an angel and a demon in a very long time. If it did, no one knows about it, or they never bore any children. Too many unknowns and past myths and legends about what they could create, until Moira decided to house a demon- angel couple who were pregnant."

His eyes went sad, and I knew how this story would play out. I’d heard it before, straight from Daya’s mouth. The story was the same, but hearing from Markus seemed different.

"You see, Nicholas, halflings can be dangerous if not given the proper attention and training. It never ended happily. Their powers can be so volatile, they kill everyone around them. It's true they can favor one parent's powers over the other, but as they grow, they would surpass the highest executive, the Queen of Hell, and even Moira herself."

Lilith didn't want that. She didn't want something stronger than her, even an infant. She was ruthless. Lilith could deal with Jonah's father and Natalia's mother, but this child was an unknown, an outlier. Lilith hated outliers.”

Markus placed his hand on Nick's shoulder. Nick tried to flinch away but couldn't. "That child didn't even make it past its first year before being slaughtered. Now, you're probably wondering by whom?" Markus reached over for my dagger and tapped it against Nick's cheek. "And how is this relevant to why you're here?"

"All this started over a fucking baby?" Reese asked, sounding stunned.

"Oh, Mr. Diniel, wars have been started over less, I assure you," Markus answered. "The enchanters were outraged this had happened on their territory, angels and demons were beside themselves, it was a goddamn mess. I had always thought Lilith herself removed that child from existence, but that wasn't what made me angry, unlike everyone else."

I narrowed my eyes, considering all the facts. Where was he going with this?

"The cracks started to show." He traced the hooked tip of the blade along Nick's cheek. "Isaac seemed to have heard that Enchanters had killed it. Enchanters thought it was demons and the demons thought it was the angels. Isaac just needed one word from any source, and he saw red. He believed Enchanters had too much magic, too much power. He wanted Moira to give them up, make them rescind their powers, but she refused. She didn't think her people were capable of such a heinous crime in the first place."

Markus dropped his hand and lightly pushed Nick out of the way as he stalked over to Jonah. I watched as his hand flexed around the dagger's hilt. He stood in front of Jonah, his back to us, but his voice boomed around the room for us to hear. "Enchanters didn't trust demons, but your father was making it hard for them to trusthim. He pushed them away, right into the waiting arms of the Queen of Darkness herself. She spoke of embracing their powers, while he spoke of ending them."

"And when the time to choose came. They apparently chose wrong, isn't that right, Jonah?" Isabel muttered, rounding the table and settling next to Natalia, tracing her finger over her sealed lips. I saw the sparks of magic and Natalia took in a large breath when she realized she could open and close her mouth again.

"My father never spoke to me about his plans. He told me after the decision was made. I wouldn't have been able to stop him; he didn't listen to me! I never wanted him to do anything like that. I was great friends with Moira and Enchanters alike. I never wanted any of that!"

"My mother wouldn't have let him get away with that," Natalia countered.

Markus let out a soft chuckle. "She was fiercely strong, your mother, but not enough."

I ground my teeth together so hard, I felt a pain in my jaw. "Your storytelling is fucking wonderful, but what does any of that have to do with you or anything you have against Jonah?"

Markus didn't turn to her. He just cocked his head to the side as if he was examining Jonah. "Your father brought all those sentries to scare them into submission but ended up doing what he always wanted. He slaughtered all those people. More innocents died that day.Shedied that day, Jonah!"

My ears perked up at his infliction, at the way he leaned into the wordshe. His voice was heavy and earnest.

"You lost someone in that fight," I said, almost to myself, but Markus slowly turned around and eyed me. Isabel stared at me from over her shoulder as she traced lazy lines up and down Natalia's forearm.

Markus hummed, smoothing one side of his gray hair down. "Yes. I loved her, and Isaac had no remorse for any of those lost."

Isabel turned around and leaned against the table. "We both lost someone. Someone we both held dear." She eyed me with a malicious glint in her blue eyes. "Mymother."

Reese let out a choking noise and a sentry shoved his back to shush him. "You had a thing with her mom? I almost got impaled with a spear because you want to avenge your dead girlfriend?"

Isabel shot her eyes to him, glowing with a rainbow of color. Reese started wheezing, as if his airway was closing. "You will not speak about my mother. Ever." She blinked and he coughed, taking in one harsh breath after another.

"Why didn’t you try to prevent it your fucking self?" I said, the cuffs on my wrist starting to cut. The magic they exuded was burning into them.

"I was a mere peasant to Isaac. We all were, unless we were the absolute best. I thought perhaps his son could stop him, but he was useless and weak, trying to make amends with the people he let live in hiding for so long." Markus sneered as the words came out of his mouth.

"And me? Why am I so important to Lilith? To any of you?" I said, my mouth curling up in annoyance. I peeked a glance over at Nick, who was surveying Jonah, but I could tell this part of the conversation highly interested him.

Markus walked over to the table, my dagger still gripped in his hand. "Ah, the looming question, I'm sure. You see, after Moira created that barrier blocking Lilith and the Enchanters from getting out, I was furious with the whole ordeal, and young Isabel here was forced to be without a mother. Those Enchanters didn't deserve that, and even though I didn't particularly like Lilith, I hated Isaac even more. Isaac turned this place into a militia and wanted to bleed it onto his son, so I decided I couldn't do it anymore, even if that meant defecting.

"Angels were actively avoiding Purgatory. Of course, I had other ideas, portal monitoring and portal keys a thing of the future, so I took young Isabel with me and sought out Lilith. We were found quite quickly and brought to her, probably assuming she would end my life. I made my plea, telling her my story, speaking of Isabel and how I wished to change things. She regarded me with interest, looked Isabel over, and simply told me she had no place for me there." Markus placed the dagger on the table and flicked the hilt, watching as it spun in a circle. I looked over at Elise, who had an eyebrow raised.

"She did have other ideas," Markus continued. "She confided her plans to me. That baby had set her off wondering what a halfling of her own could do. She would have to make sure the soul was strong enough and willing, even if unknowingly. She had plans that had to be harbored and nourished until they were ready to bloom and be executed. Lilith wanted me to muster up my feelings and remain here, watching as Isaac died and Jonah took power. She carved out a piece of my soul so I could hear her, know when she called me, when she needed me."

I flinched at the idea of that, at Lilith planning all of this fucked up mess so long ago. Biding her time. Waiting. "And you?" I glanced at Isabel, who practically broke out in a beaming grin as she answered.

"Markus went back. I remained in Purgatory, cared for by fellow Enchanters and Lilith herself. You see, if I just started fumbling around with Moira’s barrier, that would have caused issues and ruined our plans. I unfortunately don’t have enough power to remove it completely, but I could breach the portal a small bit to let her through now and again. She would find angelic souls and they would reject her help, or she would bring them back and they would be disappointments. But…you, ohyouwere everything she imagined." Isabel placed her hands together in front of her chest. "Once she had you, Lilith wanted me in Oculus, since Moira had passed. Natalia was a bit lost, relying on Jonah, and it was the perfect time for me to swoop in and turn on the charm, get the new High Priestess to trust me so I could tell her all about your excursions and comings and goings." She grazed her fingernail underneath Natalia's chin.

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