Page 89 of Living Legend

Ariel slammed both his fists into the table. “You willnotspeak to me like that!”

Reese matched Ariel’s stance at the sound of his rumbling voice. I looked over to where he stood, my eyes following his torso to where a vein in the side of his neck pulsed. “I think we are well past that now! That key that I spoke about, Natalia told us that it was still here in Heaven’s Gate. Keegan died for his key and now someone here is using it to open portals for demons. I don’t like believing it, or even thinking about it, but this shit is too much!”

“An Enchanter has overwhelmed my magic to cloak the person using it,” Natalia offered.

“Your magic is too powerful for something that simple,” Markus said, trying to pull Ariel back into his seat and failing.

“It's not, actually,” Dani said, breaking her own silence. “Given enough Enchanters willing to extend their powers to one. You have made many enemies in those you trapped down there, so I’m not the least bit surprised they were willing to help.”

Ariel widened his eyes in disbelief. “Are you making this up? Has being here for so long made you delusional? You’re also an issue, if you’d forgotten.”

Dani smirked over at him. “Oh, I’m aware I’m an issue, but right now, this isn’t about me. The real issue right now is why you have a book in the Divine Library about Enchanters when they are not even supposed to exist anymore.”

“The Divine Library?” Jonah and Ariel both said in unison.

“This should be fucking good,” Elise said under all the commotion.

“How?” Jonah questioned, but he was looking directly at me, as if he already knew I was the reason she had been there at all.

“Jonah, don’t be daft. We know how. Your prized puppy took her, without any thought to the consequences,” Ariel answered for him.

“Prized puppy?” I tilted my head to the side in question, feeling my heart beat faster.

“You don’t think we all see how he treats you as if you are something special? You think you are so special because of your unique skills; well, I’ll tell you something -- your father was just like you, coddled, too proud, and look where that got him!” Ariel huffed out, spitting his words as if they would sting me into submission.

I shoved back my chair so hard, it rattled. Elise and Dani shot their faces up to me and Natalia shifted her shoulders, trying to maintain her composure. “You willnottalk about my father like that!” I breathed heavily, feeling the heat creep up my neck. “You have been so secretive about this from the moment it started, and you want us to just go along for the ride, no questions asked. I’m sorry, but I’m fucking done with that. An innocent angel is dead, a key is being used to let demons through, there is likely an angel roaming around trying to ruin all of us, and you are upset with the way I’m fucking talking to you?”

Jonah slowly got up, likely hoping to diffuse the situation. “Nicholas, just calm down…”

“I won’t! From the beginning you’ve been hiding things from me. You’ve been lying.” Jonah was silent. “You sent Keegan, you brought Dani here. I don’t know why, but you created this whole problem and for what?”

Jonah shook his head. “You are wrong, Nicholas.”

“Cullen said, the angel was right under our noses. Why not you?” Dani questioned.

Reese turned his face away from Ariel’s. “You have kept your entire past a secret, Jonah. I will be the first one to say I was on your side, but nothing is adding up for you.”

“Maybe all those years ago, you and Lilith settled some kind of pact,” Elise offered, crossing her legs.

“I would never. I…” Jonah rubbed his forehead with his finger, flustered. “I have been honest. I will admit that I have been quite busy with other things, and I have not been as adamant with my checking on the book but seeing Keegan’s name disappear after his trip was my first knowledge of it.” He looked over at Natalia. “I did not send him to Purgatory.” Then he looked at Reese. “I do not have his key.” Lastly, he looked at me. “I brought the Soul Seether here to help, that’s all. I would not bring her here with the knowledge she would harm us. I have been honest with you in those departments.”

“All those departments but one, right?” I questioned, right at the edge of walking around the table and getting right in his face, but my legs wouldn’t move so I decided staying put would have to do.

Markus cleared his throat. “Everyone we can just sit down and…” Jonah shot up his hand clearly telling Markus to shut up. He looked back at me and tilted his head in question.

“You want me to believe you. That you had nothing to do with any of this? Then tell me, why me? Tell me what you are hiding from me and maybe I can give you the benefit of being honest to my face about something.”

“Nicholas, I have been nothing but honest about…” I waved him off and finished speaking.

“That’s not what I asked you. I asked you to be honest with me. In the Divine Library, you told Markus you weren’t playing favorites, but I’m the only one you would ever explain things to.”

Realization dawned on his face when he understood what night we had been there. Jonah closed his eyes and nodded. “Nicholas, I can assure you, I am hiding nothing and have nothing to do with this mess we’re in.” It seemed like he was done, but he wasn’t. “But there are some things I simply cannot say.”

“Then I’m done helping you with this,” I said, dropping my head.

Ariel started, “You will be finished with this when he says you are done.”

Jonah placed a hand on Ariel’s shoulder. “Ariel, enough. Nicholas, you have to understand…”

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