Page 122 of Conflicted

Not just any unit. The Seraphim.

Micah’s unit.

They filed into the room silently, fanning out on either side of us. None of them drew their weapons, but they didn’t need to. Not when every one of them had murder in their eyes.

I counted them quickly, frowning. One was missing. Rami—the healer.

There was no time to wonder on it, not with Micah spiralling beside me. This was the last thing he’d wanted to happen.

He whispered to his second, panic thick as treacle in his words. “What the fuck, Ez? I told you to keep the unit together. To keep them safe.”

“That’s what I’m doing,” Ez murmured from Micah’s right-hand side. “You’re part of the unit. Or did you forget that?”

Before Micah could respond, Gloria summoned our attention by clearing her throat. “Seraphim, what is the meaning of this?”

“We received word that Micah was being put on trial. As his unit, we’re here to testify on his behalf.” I wasn’t sure which contained more undisguised hate, Ezekiel’s tone or the twist of his lips.

“On his behalf?” Gloria gave a lilting laugh as Micah groaned beside me. “You don’t even know what crime he has committed.”

“That’s assuming a crimehasbeen committed, let alone by Micah,” Ezekiel continued. “Benji, can a full trial be called without the crime first being announced to Heaven and the greater areas?”

“Nope.” Benji flicked to a certain page to check. “There is supposed to be a minimum of a forty-eight-hour notice period. The accused also has the right toplead their case, as well as provide witnesses, character or otherwise.”

“This is absurd,” Gloria sputtered. “Those laws haven’t been looked at in centuries.”

Ezekiel smirked. “Are you suggesting we ignore the holy texts that Heaven uses to govern? How…revolutionary.”

It was as though a lightbulb went off above Gloria’s head as her sweet smile returned. “Not at all. In fact, we should revisit the very first law listed. Remind me, Benjamin, what is that?”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Benji tense. He didn’t flick through the pages to check, apparently knowing it well enough to not need to.

“Is there a problem, Benjamin?” Gloria purred. “Do you need a moment to refresh your memory?”

Benji cleared his throat, shooting an apologetic look at us before speaking. “Angels are not to be romantically involved with demons.”

Gloria’s smirk deepened. “Oh, Benjamin. I think we all know it doesn’t stop there.”

My heart sank. I was certain I could guess the rest of it. Poor Benji was flushed now, rocking on his heels as he tried to keep the knowledge inside.

Micah noticed his distress. Leaning past Ezekiel, he whispered, “It’s okay, Benji.”

“It’s fucking not,” he muttered back before raising his voice to a normal level. “Angels are not to be romantically involved with demons. Any angel who falls in love with a demon will be stripped of his rank.”

Beside me, some of Micah’s fight left him. It wasn’t as bad as execution, obviously, but losing the unit?

That would kill a different part of him.

“Hang on.” One of the twins stepped forwards, but Ihad no idea which. “If you care so much about that law, why’d you let Dimitri get away with it for so long? He was fucking Dagon forcenturiesand no one batted an eyelid.”

The other archs around the dais shifted in their seats, two of them exchanging whispers behind their hands.

Gloria’s smile turned brittle. “The circumstances were different.”

“Different.” The other twin stepped forwards. “Meaning Dagon’s daddy would’ve used you stripping his mate’s rank as an excuse to go to war?”

“Our reasoning behind that decision is confidential.”

The second twin copied her smile mockingly. “Confidential, yet somehow, we all know that’s why.”

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