all back in. Protect the city. In doing so you protect the Balance. You, Murmur, should have no trouble rooting out the traitors from the club. Be glad you still have a use.”
Murmur glared at Uriel as the others began to mutter softly to one another. Phenex was silent as the full implications of this move began to sink in. They would be leaving DC. And Sofia’s life was here. As long as Belial could be defeated, there would be no reason for Phenex to hang around here. He wouldn’t be able to hang around here. His base of operations would have gone…elsewhere.
She would have to come. That was all there was to it. He’d wanted to acclimate her, get her used to Terra Noctem, befriend some vampires. Learn to forget the sun. This pushed things along more quickly than he would have liked, but there was nothing he could do. He just needed to figure out how to make his case, what to offer. Everyone wanted something. Even Sofia Rivera.
Slowly, he tuned back in to what Uriel was saying.
“I’ll speak to Justin privately about his role in what will happen. As for the rest of you, I’ve brought you this.” He waved his hand, and where there had once been nothing was now a heavy old chest, battered but solid, sitting atop the conference table. “These will make it easier for you. There are some who were reluctant to vote to let you have them, but I assured them you could handle it. Prove me wrong, and I’ll use them on you.”
Meresin finally smiled, his somber face lighting up with pleasure. “Fire swords,” he said in his raspy voice.
“Fire swords,” Uriel confirmed. “The most effective weapon against any high demon…or angel. Don’t make me regret giving these to you.”
Phenex moved to unlatch the top, opening it to take a brief look inside. Sure enough, there were seven swords, long and thin, forged of some black metal never seen on earth. Even now, untouched by Fallen hands, smoke coiled from them. In a demon’s hand, they would immediately be aflame. He gave a curt nod and shut the lid.
“We can use these.” He paused, then grudgingly added, “Thanks, Uriel.”
“Thank me by living through this. It promises to be bloody. And no doubt Belial will have fire of his own.” He looked at them, the motley crew of Fallen beholden to him, and seemed to soften despite the glares on many of their faces.
“I never thought I’d say this, but you do good work. You’ve surprised us. We—all of us—do not want to lose you.”
“Just keep paying us, then, and we’re yours forever,” Gadreel interjected, and even Uriel managed a smile.
“I go to Justin at sundown. Make your plans. I’ll see you all afterward, wherever the city sees fit to move itself.”
They all rose from their seats, Levi and Caim moving to take the ends of the chest, Raum pausing to have a private word with Uriel before he left. Once, Uriel had been Raum’s mentor. It was a bond that had been reforged with the changing of Raum’s wings, and Phenex had a suspicion that Raum now only stayed here with them by choice. Heaven would have him back, but something—his love for Ember, most likely, though maybe some sense of loyalty as well—kept him here.
Phenex realized he was glad he’d stayed, that he would feel the loss of Raum.
He frowned as he realized that was new, that…affection. That concern. He looked at all of them, startled to find that he didn’t want to lose any of his brothers. Even Gadreel, which was nothing short of astounding.
They vanished one by one, off to find things to do by daylight, or to return to Terra Noctem by way of the outer entrance, tucked beneath an innocuous house in the suburbs. None would risk the Amphora entrance again. Not now that they needed to stand together and become the underground city’s main defense. They couldn’t risk being picked off.
Phenex lingered, lost in thought, until Uriel’s voice pulled him out of it.
“You have more on your mind than the rest.”
Phenex blinked, looked around. The room was empty except for him and the archangel. Uriel was watching him closely, and Phenex realized that this was the first time he’d been alone with Uriel since he’d left Hell. The hair at the back of his neck prickled, a warning left over from years of thinking of the archangels as the enemy, all those years Phenex