Page 98 of Legacy of Temptation

Michael gestured to the male. “The Ruling Body recognizes Pi-Zeus, First Celestial of the Order of Dominions.”

“I do not believe that asmallcontingent of dissenters is questioning the Archangel rule,” he began, his voice carrying with crystal clarity and authority through the enormous space. “I believe the numbers are significant, and I speak for my Order when I say that we want change. The human realm is in decay, and your patheticleadershipis letting it happen. You should never have been allowed to take control from the Thrones after the Sheoul-gra disaster. It was more your fault than theirs.”

Michael’s eyes darkened. “Is that so?”

A female in jeweled robes stood, and a dozen of her companions came to their feet with her. “I am Lucinala, Sixth Celestial of the Order of Virtues. We have seen a radical, rapid decay among humanity, and also on the planet itself. Humans are destroying the oceans and the air. They’re driving plants and animals into extinction. Crops are failing, and people are starving. Yet we do nothing about it. Therefore, we align with the dissenters.”

Interesting. Reaver took in the room, the quiet whispers, the nervous shifting. On the stage, the Archangels began fidgeting.

Michael cleared his throat. “Who else stands with the dissenters?”

The entire contingent of Principalities and Thrones joined the Virtues and Dominions, and shock turned the Archangels’ faces pale. Reaver thought he might have lost some blood in his face too, when his Order, the Powers, stood for the dissenters.

A Throne stood. “I, Zaphkiel, First Celestial of the Order of Thrones, call for a Convention of Celestials to determine a new Ruling Body.”

Gasps filled the theater but were quickly drowned out by cheers.

“This is rather unexpected,” Harvester murmured in Reaver’s ear. “But I do believe it isn’t a surprise to many in here.”

Reaver agreed with his mate’s assessment. The smirks and shifty gazes from more than a few of those in the audience made clear that something was in the works.

Uriel, a senior Archangel and ginormous douchebag, joined Michael at the front of the stage. “This is ridiculous. We will not stand down. We held a Convention of Celestials after Azagoth destroyed Sheoul-gra, and we agreed to give the human realm a century to sort out their issues with demons on their own.”

“Fool!” Pi-Zeus shouted. “We agreed to non-interference and no more memory wipes. We didnotagree to let demons take over an entire continent, and we certainly didn’t agree to let humanity sink so far into depravity that they not only allow demons to live among them but facilitate it.”

Cheers erupted.

“They have fallen faster than we imagined while you have been sitting around drinking ambrosia!” someone called out over the din. “Did you know that demons have been born with human souls? It’s madness!”

The guy was being an alarmist jackass, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. While no demons had been born withdemonsouls since Azagoth destroyed Sheoul-gra, a few, like Crux and Chaos, had been born with human souls. The twins had been considered miracles among demons. And while Chaos was already dead, they could never know about Crux. If anyone learned that his soul was human, thanks to his human-werewolf mother, he’d be targeted for death by any number of entities. Demons, humans, and angels all tended to destroy what they didn’t understand. Kill first, dissect later.

“Metatron!” someone else called out. “You are our Creator’s mouthpiece. What say you?”

Reaver held his breath as his uncle came forward, the sheer power of his mere presence quieting the room. “I say that we trust God’s plan.”

“Well, maybe He could let us in on that plan,” Lucinala snapped. “Becausetrust God’s planis all we hear from you.”

“And yet, you haven’t listened.” Metatron’s voice, calm and measured, rang out. “None of you have. You have interfered when you shouldn’t, and you’ve sat idly by when action was called for. We agreed to let the human drama play out without dipping our wings into it beyond what is routine.”

“Was it routine to allow Reaver and Gabriel to conspire with Azagoth to destroy Sheoul-gra?” A Power from near the front shoved to his feet. “Was it routine to give them mere slaps on the wrists?”

A chorus of “No!” exploded in the seats and echoed around the colosseum.

“You protect them!” someone shouted, and shit, the Archangels had better get this under control.

“Silence!” Michael bellowed, his words booming in waves through the space, amplified by his angelic power. A golden glow surrounded him as he lifted into the air, his wings splayed wide in a display of authority. “We will abide by the agreed-upon timeline.”

Suddenly, Pi-Zeus shot into the air with a great flap of his sienna wings. His aura churned around him in the form of fiery rings. “We cannot afford to wait. Call for a Convention of Celestialsnow. We demand new leadership!”

Metatron’s deep voice rang out, as calm as Pi-Zeus’s was frantic. “And who,” he said, “do you propose should replace the Archangels as the Ruling Body?”

Michael laughed. “Let me guess. The Powers? They’re our best defense against demons and powerful warriors, but they have proven incapable of governing.”

Uriel sneered. “No, my guess is the Dominions. They can govern, but power goes too quickly to their heads. Last time they were in charge, they had temper tantrums resulting in great floods that God got blamed for in every culture with flood lore.”

“Yikes.” Gabriel cringed dramatically. “You Dominions were in the doghouse for a long time for that one.” He bared his teeth at another delegation of angels. “Nope. My money is on the Principalities. You guys still haven’t learned that you shouldn’t coup.”

“How dare you?” Suroth, the head of the Order of Principalities, shot into the air, lightning sparking from his multicolored wings. “We have atoned for the actions of a handful of our people—”

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