moment. Was she worried? Afraid? Guilt swamped me at being so caught up with Alec that I had been ready to let her happily putter on her own in the Akasha. Despite her reassurance that she was looking forward to seeing all the Akasha had to offer, it was still a place of punishment, and she had done nothing to deserve being trapped there.
"They do indeed direct the Hashmallim," Terrin acknowledged, smiling his thanks when Pia poured him more tea. Already the bruise marks on his throat had almost faded to nothing. "And if Her Grace Disin had asked the Hashmallim to take her great-granddaughter to the Akasha, she would most certainly be able to demand a release. But Diamond was banished by Bael himself, and combined with the fact that she is a vessel, it makes for difficulties in gaining her release without extraordinary measures."
"I understood, like, one word in five in that," I told Pia. "How about you?"
"One in four," she said, patting my knee. "But I've been around these guys longer than you. What's a vessel?"
"A member of the Court of pine Blood. In the hierarchy of the Court, they are the lowest member, and justly serve mortals. They answer to - "
"Whoa, wait just a second, here," I interrupted, shaking my head. "You're saying that Diamond is an angel, too? Diamond who stole my husband away from me?"
Alec made an abortive gesture.
"Not that I wanted him anymore, and I'm much happier without him," I said quickly, flashing a quick smile at Alec. "But still, she stole him from me! Angels don't do that!"
"She is a vessel," Terrin said, his warm brown eyes doing a little twinkle thing at me. "She serves mortals."
I thought about that for a moment. "You're saying she took Dermott from me because . . ." My gaze shifted to Alec, enlightenment dawning in the dusty hallways of my mind. "Because I was going to meet Alec?"
"Because you are a Beloved, and you have a moral code that would not allow you to fulfill that role if you were bound to another man," Terrin said, hiding his smile in the cup of tea.
"I can't help but be a little annoyed with the fact that she thought she'd just come along and manipulate my life like that," I said, feeling disgruntled and somewhat betrayed. "I thought she really loved him. I thought he was better off with her. I thought I was doing the right thing by giving them my blessing."
Terrin shrugged. "She most likely does love him. Her job would not have required her to marry him, so I assume she felt they had a future together. And just for the record, no member of the Court takes it upon themselves to manipulate mortals. We may guide now and again, but in the end, the choice of what path your life takes is entirely yours."
My gaze went again to Alec, whose mouth was tilted up on either end in the very faintest of smiles.
You look smug.
I do not feel smug. I feel grateful.
Grateful that I let my inner devil have her way and hook up with you?
Grateful that Diamond had the foresight to separate you from your ex-husband. Did you love him?
When we were first married, yes. But it wasn't the sort of love that had much depth to it, and before six months were up, I knew I'd made a mistake.
"That's all and well, not that I mean to make light of your relationship with your ex-husband, Cora, but what, exactly, do you expect Cora to do to get her friend out of the Akasha?" Pia asked Terrin. "Are you going to . . . for lack of a better word . . . use her?"
"Would that I could," Terrin said, looking even more tired. "But although one Tool by itself is powerful enough to pull most people from the Akasha, a member of the Court is beyond its power. Two Tools, however, should do the trick."
"Are you saying that the Tools can work together?" I asked. "That they can . . . what, chain power or something?"
"That is a very apt way of phrasing it."
"So if two of the Tools together are enough to yank Diamond from the Akasha, what would all three be like?" Pia asked.
Terrin shuddered and closed his eyes. "The three Tools wielded by one person would rock the mortal world. They could cause irreparable damage to any being, mortal or immortal. It would, in short, have a