Page 62 of Eternal Sacrifice
“What happens now?” Mor asked, folding her hands in her lap.
“The Withering. Eventually,” I said, looking at her with a sad smile. I would have to sit and watch her lose her mind like I watched my mother lose her grasp on reality.
Mor nodded, almost as if dismissing the comment entirely.
“I meant, how are we getting him back?”
Tension filled the room, mostly emanating from Jasper.
“Apparently, you didn’t learn your lesson after all,” he growled, barely restraining himself as his grip on her knees tightened.
She stared him down, burning determination in her eyes. “We’re dead, anyway.”
He growled, the noise rumbling from his chest while his mind fit her point inside.
“Fuck it,” Jace said. “We have to at least try. See if it’s even possible.”
“Justice?” Mor turned her bottomless eyes toward me.
“I’ll follow you to the end of the universe, Fox.”
A smile split her face. It only lasted for a moment before it was erased by the heavy undertones of heartache that remained. It was the first smile of this new era.
Jaspertookover,informingthe sins and addressing the demons. Mor didn’t make a public appearance, and Jace and I never left her side except when she was in the hands of one of us. All our energy was spent looking through various texts, including the Book of Knowledge. The collar Jace and I designed to lock Mor out of her power also helped us to read from the book without the magic within the pages taking over our will.
That and someone always stood guard, and Cole insisted on standing in as backup. His eyes watched Mor’s every move, and he followed her everywhere she went. Then again, she admitted that could be because she had shoved one of Jax’s fractures into the creature’s mind.
Jasper’s head nearly blew off his shoulders, and I had to go inside Cole’s mind to be sure the other fragment had been successfully pushed out. Only one fragment powered the dragon, but I could not tell which had won.
Considering the extreme attachment the dragon had formed, I would bet it was Jax’s essence.
“His soul fractured. That means it went into the veil, right?” Mor said, placing her finger on an illustration of a thick black curtain that divided the land. “That’s Andemeron, right?”
I spun the book around to get a better look at it. The business of souls was more of an angel specialty than a demon one. We were just in charge of forcing them to get back in line.
Take me in chains or leave now with your life.
“Jace, can you arrange another meeting with your brother’s angel friend?” I asked, not finding answers about what types of souls went into the veil. It just said that demons and virtues were found inside the veil, and the soul would be tested at every turn.
“And yes, this is the veil in Andemeron,” I said to Mor, cutting Jace off as he started.
“I have the angel coin,” Mor said excitedly as Jace started again.
“No,” Jace finally managed. “I don’t think Az would be willing or able to help. He doesn’t talk about angel business.”
“Let’s summon the angel in the throne room. No sins,” I said.
“I’ll let Jasper know,” Jace said before going into his mind.
Mor stood, and Cole stood along with her. He stretched his legs before looking at her, waiting for directions. She walked into the closet and headed for the box that contained the jewelry we had given her throughout our time together. Her abandoned crown sat on top of her dresser. The same place it had sat since the day Jax died. She turned back, holding the golden coin in her palm as she cradled her hand with the other.
“Jasper says he’ll be ready in thirty,” Jace said from the other room.
We made our way to the throne room, marching forward like a funeral procession. We didn’t encounter any other demons; the only sound between us was the thud of our shoes against the stone floor. The doors to the throne room opened as we approached, allowing us to continue at the same pace into the vacant space.
Jasper sat on his throne, blending in with the rust-red color of the metal. He looked like a statue of a perfectly imagined demon, complete with horns beneath his crown and a tail that curled around to flick in irritation.
“Looks like you cleared everyone out quicker than you thought,” I said, noting it had only taken us five minutes to get there.
