She stood over Hania,
her face a thundercloud.
“Time for my first judgment,”
Gabriel said softly.
Raphael gave him a sympathetic
look. “You are not alone.”
Gabriel nodded and walked over.
When he reached the steps, he looked down at Hania. “You interfered in a legal
challenge combat.”
She shuddered, not meeting his
eyes. “I had to! He told me he would cut me open if I didn’t. That’s how the
demons get inside.” She slid up her sleeves and Gabriel winced. A fine crisscross
of scars marred her wing marks.
Raphael crouched down and put a
hand on her forehead. For a moment, he held his breath, then he let it out and stood up. “She speaks the truth.”
Gabriel didn’t ask how Raphael knew
this. The powers of an Omega were to be trusted implicitly. Besides, he had a
feeling his mate was going completely by instinct at this point.
“Do you wish to remain with the
People?” Gabriel asked her. He could feel magic stirring in his bones. Unfamiliar magic. He swallowed, letting it move through him.
He sensed a greater power directing the energy through him. This was the power
an Alpha held over the angels who followed him.
She shook her head. “I just want to
go somewhere far away.” She began to cry, head bowed, long hair sliding down
over her shoulders.
Gabriel sighed. “Raphael?”
His Omega knew immediately what he
wanted. “Let her go.”
Gabriel looked to his sister. She’d
calmed down, thankfully, and now her face held only sympathy. For some reason,
her wings gave the impression of magic, too. She had a hint of midnight blue
shading along the dark brown of her feathers. “Let her go,” she said, adding
weight to Raphael’s advice.
Gabriel nodded slowly, then knelt
down and put his hands on Hania’s head. If she had been abused for years, she
needed healing, not punishment, regardless of the crime she’d committed against
him. He steadied himself, feeling the People’s eyes on him as he made his
pronouncement. “Hania, as Alpha, I release you from the People. Go in peace.
May God be with you. ” A surge of electricity shot
through him and down his arms. Hania gasped. Before his eyes, she changed. Her
scars disappeared, but so did her marks.
“What have you done?” she asked,
trembling. She stared at her arms.
Gabriel reared back, shocked.
“God has spoken,” Raphael
whispered.
“You’ve taken my wings,” Hania
said, her voice breaking. “I’m human.”
Gabriel swallowed. He hadn’t meant
to do it. He couldn’t imagine a more horrible punishment. He hadn’t meant to
punish her at all, but then she looked up at him for the first time, eyes
shining with tears. “Thank you. Alpha, thank you.” She
hurled herself at him. He barely had time to catch her before she let go. “I’ve
cursed my wings since the day I was mated to Samael, may he rot in Hell
forever. You’ve given me my deepest wish, and after I hurt you…” She trailed
off, crying again. “How can I ever repay you?”
Gabriel stepped back, troubled. “Just
go. Live in peace.” He didn’t know what else to say.
She nodded, gathering herself. “I
will. And I will tell everyone about your honorable actions. God chose wisely.”
She turned and ran into the castle.
“You did well,” Gabriel’s mother
said, coming up behind him.
He shrugged, still uneasy. “I had
no idea she wanted to become human.”
“She was far too damaged to
continue as an angel. You had faith God would help you find the right way.
Raphael had faith and healed you. Our People have a new leader. For all the
tragedy of this night, it has concluded well.” She leaned into him, a warm,
solid presence.
Gabriel turned to face the circle,
careful not to dislodge his mother. She needed him right now. It couldn’t have
been easy to see he son fighting on the very ground where her husband had died.
And hell, he needed her, too. The People who’d come to see the challenge had
gathered closer, waiting for him to speak. He looked at
her face a thundercloud.
“Time for my first judgment,”
Gabriel said softly.
Raphael gave him a sympathetic
look. “You are not alone.”
Gabriel nodded and walked over.
When he reached the steps, he looked down at Hania. “You interfered in a legal
challenge combat.”
She shuddered, not meeting his
eyes. “I had to! He told me he would cut me open if I didn’t. That’s how the
demons get inside.” She slid up her sleeves and Gabriel winced. A fine crisscross
of scars marred her wing marks.
Raphael crouched down and put a
hand on her forehead. For a moment, he held his breath, then he let it out and stood up. “She speaks the truth.”
Gabriel didn’t ask how Raphael knew
this. The powers of an Omega were to be trusted implicitly. Besides, he had a
feeling his mate was going completely by instinct at this point.
“Do you wish to remain with the
People?” Gabriel asked her. He could feel magic stirring in his bones. Unfamiliar magic. He swallowed, letting it move through him.
He sensed a greater power directing the energy through him. This was the power
an Alpha held over the angels who followed him.
She shook her head. “I just want to
go somewhere far away.” She began to cry, head bowed, long hair sliding down
over her shoulders.
Gabriel sighed. “Raphael?”
His Omega knew immediately what he
wanted. “Let her go.”
Gabriel looked to his sister. She’d
calmed down, thankfully, and now her face held only sympathy. For some reason,
her wings gave the impression of magic, too. She had a hint of midnight blue
shading along the dark brown of her feathers. “Let her go,” she said, adding
weight to Raphael’s advice.
Gabriel nodded slowly, then knelt
down and put his hands on Hania’s head. If she had been abused for years, she
needed healing, not punishment, regardless of the crime she’d committed against
him. He steadied himself, feeling the People’s eyes on him as he made his
pronouncement. “Hania, as Alpha, I release you from the People. Go in peace.
May God be with you. ” A surge of electricity shot
through him and down his arms. Hania gasped. Before his eyes, she changed. Her
scars disappeared, but so did her marks.
“What have you done?” she asked,
trembling. She stared at her arms.
Gabriel reared back, shocked.
“God has spoken,” Raphael
whispered.
“You’ve taken my wings,” Hania
said, her voice breaking. “I’m human.”
Gabriel swallowed. He hadn’t meant
to do it. He couldn’t imagine a more horrible punishment. He hadn’t meant to
punish her at all, but then she looked up at him for the first time, eyes
shining with tears. “Thank you. Alpha, thank you.” She
hurled herself at him. He barely had time to catch her before she let go. “I’ve
cursed my wings since the day I was mated to Samael, may he rot in Hell
forever. You’ve given me my deepest wish, and after I hurt you…” She trailed
off, crying again. “How can I ever repay you?”
Gabriel stepped back, troubled. “Just
go. Live in peace.” He didn’t know what else to say.
She nodded, gathering herself. “I
will. And I will tell everyone about your honorable actions. God chose wisely.”
She turned and ran into the castle.
“You did well,” Gabriel’s mother
said, coming up behind him.
He shrugged, still uneasy. “I had
no idea she wanted to become human.”
“She was far too damaged to
continue as an angel. You had faith God would help you find the right way.
Raphael had faith and healed you. Our People have a new leader. For all the
tragedy of this night, it has concluded well.” She leaned into him, a warm,
solid presence.
Gabriel turned to face the circle,
careful not to dislodge his mother. She needed him right now. It couldn’t have
been easy to see he son fighting on the very ground where her husband had died.
And hell, he needed her, too. The People who’d come to see the challenge had
gathered closer, waiting for him to speak. He looked at
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