Page 92 of Conflicted

Technically, we weren’t in Heaven at all. As the courts were used to prosecute supes from all walks of life, they existed in purgatory. It was a bland land that occupied the space between Heaven and Earth. Humans sometimes glimpsed it while hovering in between life and death. The light they spoke of wasn’t actually Heaven, but purgatory. A holding place.

And a place of judgement.

Seven faces stared down at me from the dais. Humans believed it was God herself who decided on their punishments, but the reality was that she had more important things to concern herself with than misbehaving supes and humans.

Or murderous demons.

She would only become involved in the most dire of circumstances. It’d take Armageddon being threatened for her to step in.

That wasn’t the case today.

I nodded sharply at the judges, just as I always did. Their faces gave nothing away. The seat by the door, the one Emilio usually occupied as resident enforcer, was noticeably empty.

Play dumb. My inner voice had taken on Nox’s husky timbre.Pretend you don’t know what’s going on. Get out of this.

It wasn’t a bad idea. Not that I wanted to escape punishment—if Nox was being executed, then so was I, but maybe if I played thisright…

Maybe I could escape long enough to find Nox. To fight by his side.

To die at his side.

“Good evening,” I said mildly, nodding in the direction of Emilio’s empty chair. “Are we waiting for Emilio before we begin? I have to say, I’m not sure what I’ve done that can be considered a transgression this time.”

The two angels on the far left exchanged a look, but I kept my attention fixed on Gloria. Her decision was the one that mattered.

Beauty seemed to shine from her, but I knew better than most how skin deep that beauty was. Beneath her pleasant exterior lay a cunning, manipulative and ruthless mind. “No transgression today, Micah. We’re sending you on a mission.”

“Of course. I live to serve you.” My smile was as false as the one Gloria wore. They wanted to send me on a missionnow?

It’s okay. This is good. Agree to whatever they tell you, then leave. Find Nox. Escape. Hide.

Something about this wasn’t right though. Why had they summoned me to the courts to give me a mission? We were technologically advanced enough that such orders were usually emailed over a private server.

“I am confused, though,” I said carefully. It hadn’t escaped my notice that Gloria hadn’t responded to my question about Emilio. “Is there a reason why I’ve been summoned to hear this mission?”

One of Gloria’s perfectly manicured brows raised. “Are you questioning our methods?”

“Of course not,” I lied. “I was just curious, that’s all.”

“Curiosity is the path to sin,” the angel to Gloria’s rightintoned. Randall had always been the most pious of the seven judges. “You should know better, Micah.”

Usually, I took their reprimands meekly, but not today. Today I didn’t have contrition running in my veins. Nor obedience, meekness, or regret.

There was nothing but fear and rage. Together they equalled a desperation that overtook everything else, even the angel I’d always been.

Nothing else mattered to me now except finding Nox.

“Should I?” I responded, my brows raising. “Surely if I’m not curious about anything, then how can I know any better? We learn through action, not words. Isn’t that what we’re taught?”

Randall turned a delightful shade of purple. Before he could explode, Gloria raised a hand to silence him. The smile she gave me dripped innocence.

Alarm bells started to ring in the back of my mind.

“You’re so interesting today,” Gloria said, leaning her chin on her hand. “In fact, you’ve been rather…interestingover the past few weeks. It’s exactly why you’ve been selected for this mission.”

“I’m not sure what you’re hinting at.”

“I’m sure you’re not.” Gloria smirked. “But regardless, you have been specifically chosen for this mission, Micah. It’ll be the highest honour of your career. The loyalty you’ll show today will set a new standard for generations to come.”

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