Page 109 of Conflicted

I inclined my head politely, knowing I needed to buy us as much time as possible. While I didn’t have the same faith in the imminent arrival of Dimitri and the sons of Lucifer as Nox did, I wasn’t giving up entirely. “May I ask why?”

The angel gave me a tight smile. Her kind blue eyes reminded me of Grace. Fuck, I hoped this angel wasn’t a tenth as lethal as she was. “I’m not at liberty to say. Nor are you at liberty to refuse us.”

The threat in her words was emphasised by the two angels behind her, who pulled their swords from their scabbards.

“Am I correct in assuming this is because of Nox?”

“For fuck’s sake, Amelia.” Lyle tried to shove past her, but Amelia didn’t move an inch. He resorted to hissing atme over her shoulder. “You were supposed to execute the fucker, not run away with him.”

“I did execute him,” I lied, keeping my tone bored. “Then I came here to recover from having my mate betray me. Surely that’s understandable?”

Clearly that wasn’t what any of them had been expecting me to say. The two regents at the back exchanged a confused look while Amelia’s brows rose slightly.

“Your mate?” Amelia said.

“Well, not bonded.” Technically that wasn’t a lie, hehadn’tbeen my bonded mate back on the beach. “But yes, Nox was my fated mate. Did the higher-ups neglect to tell you that fact?”

One of the other regents sheathed his sword and shouldered past Lyle. “Hang on, are you seriously accusing the higher-ups of ordering you to execute your fatedmate?”

The angel’s ruddy features were familiar. I searched my memory before my brain landed on a name. “Damon, right? You tried out for the Seraphim back in 1267.”

Damon startled, obviously not thinking I’d remember. “That’s right.”

“You’ve got a killer right hook,” I said with a grin. “Stopped Rami talking for a solid hour after you punched him. Quietest sixty minutes I’ve had in decades.”

The angel grinned. “Thanks. Choosing between the Seraphim and the Regency was tough but…”

“Hey, I get it.” I gave a careless shrug. “You get to stay in Heaven and don’t have any paperwork. I’d take that option too.”

That was the biggest lie I’d told so far. I wouldn’t choose any job over leading the Seraphim. Aside from loving Nox, it was the biggest honour of my immortality.

“I just don’t understand. Arthur, did you know aboutthis?” Damon gestured at the other male regent, who shook his head, looking equally appalled. “The mating bond is sacred. Why would they ask you to do that? Do they know he’s your mate?”

“I think so.” I shrugged. “It was hidden under layers of pretty words, but the implication was there.”

“Fuck,” Amelia said. “And you really executed him?”

I didn’t get to answer them. Lyle spoke first.

“Of course he fucking didn’t,” he practically screamed. “He’s here. I know he is.”

“Thank fuck for that,” Damon muttered. “Okay, so what do we do now?”

Lyle rounded on him, teeth bared. “What do you mean,what do we do? We follow orders.Micah’s mate is to be executed, and he is to be escorted upstairs.”

That wasn’t going to happen now we were bonded. I didn’t let anything show on my face, not wanting to reveal that fact just yet.

Damon and Arthur exchanged a loaded look. The latter spoke slowly, like he was measuring his words carefully. “According to Micah, Noxhasbeen executed. Therefore, the mission has been completed. I say we take that report upstairs and go from there. If Micah has carried out their orders, then there’s no need for him to appear before the court.”

Hope leapt in my chest. Holy fuck, were we really going to pull this off? It wouldn’t buy us much time, but maybe enough to come up with a more solid plan than the one we were currently winging.

“I agree.” Amelia gave a curt nod.

“Have you lost your minds?” Lyle bellowed. To their credit, not one of the regents so much as blinked at hishysterics. “Micah islying. He’s lying to your faces. His mate is alive. Are you really going to disobey orders?”

Damon stepped up to Lyle, a quiet fury radiating beneath his smile. “Let me remind you, Lyle, that every arch in this clearing currently outranks you. What we say here, goes.”

“But Nox is alive,” Lyle said, refusing to back down. “He’s here somewhere, I know it.”

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