Page 64 of Fallen Angels

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll vacate your spot,” I growl at the annoying thing. It flits away, joining Cambion in the back room.

It hits me then that not much is known about my kind. We exist like all the rest, but most of our lore was lost or distorted through the ages. Some thought of us as guardian angels while others believed we were made to serve the Fae kings. No one knows for certain how or where the gargoyle originated.

In some ways, I’m as much an enigma as Eilish and Revenant. The only one of our ragtag group of misfits that actually belongs anywhere is Cambion. He retains his name, his royal crest, his lineage, his home, his owl, and his faeries to look after, and a place in the Fae realm once all of this is over. If we stand victorious against Variant, I don’t know where I will come home to. The Shadow Realm, of course, but not the Gorge. The Gorge only represents a prison to me and one I have no interest to return to.

And where would Eilish return?I think to myself.At least I have the Gorge. She has nothing.

“Hey, Stone King,” the sprite continues as it appears from behind a somewhat intact bookshelf. “Fairy-boy want to show you somethin’,” he says and then motions me into the back room.

“Shut up, pest.” I turn and try to tune out the nagging little voice.

“Dragan!” Cambion calls, further shattering my mood.

“Son of a,” I start as I run my hand through my hair and try not to trip over the books on my way to the back room. “What?” I thunder at him.

“Come take a look at this,” he says as he holds up a leather bound edition and I lean forward to read the title.

“The Conquests of King Variant?” I repeat.

“It’s a historical account, if that’s what you want to call it,” Cambion begins as he flips through the pages with a mixture of angry hostility and curiosity. “About the Great War and written by someone withinsideknowledge of what happened. Inside as in… the author was clearly hired by Variant to write a historical account according to Variant’s perspective.”

“Not according to the truth,” I continue.

I notice Eilish as she comes up behind me, intently listening. I can still smell her need on the air and it’s becoming more and more difficult to ignore. But, ignore it I must. I don’t know how Cambion does it—but somehow he seems to have built up a resistance to her. It’s as though he can’t even smell the scent of her desire in the air. I’ll say one thing for him—he’s fucking lucky. I haven’t enjoyed walking around with a fucking hard cock for the last few days.

Cambion nods. “Apparently, Variant has been trying to convince people that he killed Baron in self-defense and that you,” he stops to look at me, “And I, walked away from our oaths and that’s what hurled the realms into chaos.” He shakes his head against the injustice of the whole thing. “The book says that we lead a revolt and attempted to slander Variant’s name.” He looks down at the bound lies and continues shaking his head as he leafs through the pages. “Everything I’ve read in this piece of shit tries to justify Variant’s tyranny.”

“There will be those who know better,” I argue. “Those who remember what really happened.”

“Yes, but what voice do they have, if they’re even still alive?” Cambion asks as he looks up from the book and frowns. “Of course there are people who have seen Variant’s wrath and maliciousness for themselves, but…”

“A lot of people could have read this book,” I finish for him. “Could have beenforcedto read this book,” I correct myself. Cambion nods as I continue. “There will always be those who believe Variant’s lies and support him.”

“He’s completely rewritten history, Dragan,” Cambion says in awe. “Not even I would have imagined he’d do that.”

“I’m not that surprised,” I respond with a shrug.

“It’s no surprise that Raflamir told the soldiers where to find us,” Cambion continues, mostly to himself at this point. “If they’ve all been fed this bullshit and they believe it…” He looks up at me and shakes his head. “He’s completely turned the tables on us, Dragan. He painted us to be the criminals here, not him.”

“The only option we have is finishing this quest and trying to repair the damage Variant has done,” I offer.

Eilish nods. “Even if this book didn’t exist, there would still be people who prefer the realms the way they are now. Anona and her ilk aren’t the only ones who profited from the collapse.”

“At least she’s dead,” Cambion says.

I glance up at him, surprised. “Anona’s dead?”

Cambion looks up from the book at me and then immediately at Eilish, as though he’s said something he shouldn’t have. He clears his throat as he looks at me again. “Yes, Anona’s dead.”

“And how do you know that?” I demand.

Eilish answers for him. “I told him.”

I face her. “And how did you know that Anona was dead?”

She refuses to look at me and I can see the rise and fall of her chest increasing. She’s nervous but I’m not sure why. “I saw a vision of it,” she answers.

There’s something about the way she answers or maybe it’s the interaction between the two of them, but I’m left doubting what she tells me. Of course, I wonder why either one of them would lie about Anona’s death. “Well, this is a very good thing then,” I say.

---