Devery grabbed Julian's arm, "Give us our weapons, we'll help" she urged softly. He glared and shook her off, stalking away to peer out of the window and down into the large room below where his followers were gathered.
From above he could see a large winged figure circling and two other figures hovering nearby. Lunging away from the consol, Julian turned to the 8-balls and waved a hand, "Go! Make sure everyone is armed!" he commanded.
The men nodded and ran out of the room, yelling to the people gathered below, handing out weapons to some, ushering others away to hide.
Julian turned to glare at Devery and shook his head ruefully, "You brought him to our door. I should shove you all out the door and let him have you."
Noma stepped forward, her face lined with worry, "You can't do that!" she urged.
Julian rolled his eyes, "Calm down, I'm not going to. But you should stay out of sight. We don't want this getting out of hand."
Alex frowned, "We can help, give us our weapons and let us help you fight him."
Julian sighed, "You're awfully reckless for someone so young." He shrugged after a moment and nodded, "Fine." He went to the safe and opened it, tossing them their weapons before slamming it shut.
Devery quickly tied on her swords and holstered her guns, her stomach tightening at the thought of seeing Gabriel again. She desperately didn't want to hurt him, but if he planned on hurting Alex or Noma, she would stop him.
The sound of shattering glass and screams broke the tense silence in the room; Devery's head shot up, seeking out the source. A lone figure dropped through a hole in the roof and Devery's stomach dropped; it was Gabriel.
They all rushed out, weapons drawn, and advanced on Gabriel, eager to be rid of him or kill him. Gabriel smirked and pushed a hand through his hair, "So good to see you all again. Here I was thinking you had died in that unfortunate attack on my aerie."
His eyes narrowed with something unpleasant, "It's good to see that isn't true" he murmured, his eyes resting on Devery a breath longer than anyone else in the group. Her gaze met his, pleading with him to back off, and after a moment he looked away, his anger growing.
"I'm here for the Chosen One" he murmured, turning a steady gaze onto Alex.
Julian's eyes narrowed at the comment and where Gabriel's eyes landed…it was most curious. He strode forward, an expansive smile on his face, "Gabriel, I'm sure we can resolve this peaceably, don't you agree?" he wheedled.
Gabriel studied Julian for a moment, recognizing him faintly. After a moment's hesitation he smiled widely, "Oh, but it's just not as fun that way, dyad." He grinned wider as Julian's face paled, his hands clenching at his side.
Gabriel hadn't seen the man before him in hundreds of years, and the last time they were together, it hadn't ended well for Julian. He had thought that he and Michael had destroyed Julian, but apparently they had failed….something archangels rarely did.
His gaze slid back to Alex, his anger bubbling up again. Before him stood another testament to his failure and with every defiant breath he took it enraged Gabriel more. "Come with me now Alex and I won't slaughter everyone here" he commanded.
Alex glared at Gabriel, shaking his head in disgust. "You should leave Gabriel before you're shot full of Empyrean steel. I bet that would hurt like a bitch" he sneered.
Gabriel looked around the room at the men and women holding weapons pointed steadily at him, his lip curling in disgust. He could take a beating and keep going, but Empyrean steel wasn't something he was ready to go up against, especially that many rounds.
Turning back to glare at Alex he clenched his fists, "I'll be back for you" he hissed. His enormous black wings spread and with a gust of air he launched himself into the air and back through the hole in the roof he had entered.
Guns were pointed at the roof, tracking Gabriel's retreat until those on the ground were sure he was gone, until the sound of wing beats could no longer be heard. The tense silence grew until finally Alex turned to Julian, his brow furrowed in frustration, "Do you see now? You need to ally with Vega. We have to stop him."
Julian waved a hand, "Follow me." He turned and strode back to the office that they had emerged from just minutes earlier and slammed the door shut. Turning on Alex he studied the younger man through narrowed eyes for a long moment before nodding.
"Right, you'll get your alliance after you do something for me."
Alex nodded, "What do you need?" he asked slowly, warily.
"I need you to go into our jail and retrieve a key for me." Julian studied Alex as he processed his words, wondering if the younger man was as committed to his cause as he seemed.
"Your jail? A key? I'm going to need more details than that man." Alex lifted a brow, waiting for Julian to talk.
Julian smirked, "We have a jail for our citizens who have committed infractions against our rules or who have uh, gone a little crazy." He lifted a brow, biting back a laugh as Alex glanced over to the two women with him.
Nindayaa shrugged gently and lifted a brow, turning her gaze on him, her eyes studying him intently. There was some kind of power in her gaze, it held him captive as the other woman spoke softly to Alex; all the noise in the room dropped away and he couldn't tear himself away from her liquid brown eyes.
"Julian. Julian!" Alex called, his voice growing louder with frustration.
Julian's gaze finally broke from Nindayaa's, a sense of relief flooding him. It had felt like a scorpion was crawling through his mind, poking into his memories. "Yes, what?" he snapped, turning back to Alex.
Alex frowned deeply at him, his mouth turning down as he spoke, "We'll go get this key for you, but I'm going to need assurances that Nindayaa will be unharmed while we retrieve it."
Julian nodded, "Of course, you're my guest here, I would never harm one of my guests." It helped that he was terrified of her in a way that was entirely different than the fear he used to hold for the archangels.
Their power he understood; hers was mysterious and unknown to him. She captivated and repulsed him at the same time.
Alex nodded, "Then show us where this jail is and we'll get the key."
Julian nodded, striding to the door to pull it open, "This way" he called over his shoulder. He could feel Nindayaa's presence behind him, her eyes crawling up his spine and he repressed a shudder.
Striding through the halls quickly he nodded at his people, pushing through door after door until they were in an abandoned section of the compound. He slowed and turned, waving a hand to Alex and the other woman.
"You'll need weapons in here. You have until dawn tomorrow." He nodded sharply at Alex and pulled a large steel door open, letting loose howls of rage and madness. "Good luck" he murmured.
Alex and Noma shared a brief look of uncertainty before walking forward, the door slamming shut behind them moments later with a desolate thudding noise. If ever there was a time that they truly had each other's back, it was now.
Julian turned to Nindayaa, studying her for a moment before holding a hand out with a warily friendly smile. "Would you like something to eat?" he offered.
Devery cocked her head to the side, studying Julian. She had gotten into his head earlier, had seen the darkness that resided there, the hate for archangels, the need to take revenge on Gabriel and Michael…it made her incredibly wary of him.
In years past she would have simply killed him for what she had seen, but since her time with Gabriel and her time with…God…she shuddered at the memory still, she couldn't do that anymore. She had to try and stop him reasonably before cutting him down.
She nodded slowly, "Please. Could I also have somewhere to rest?" she asked softly, though she had no plans to sleep until Alex and Noma came out of the jail whole and safe.
Julian nodded, "Follow me" he murmured. He led Nindayaa through the halls until they came to the dorms, places that his people lived, and though they were crowded, they were clean. He walked clear to the end and pushed a door open, waving a hand, "All yours" he murmured.
Devery nodded, "Thank you" she replied softly, walking carefully into the room, her hand near her gun as she inspected the room. After a moment she nodded, "Looks good" she murmured.
Julian's mouth curled in disdain for a moment before twisting into a smile, "Great. I'll have food brought here." He turned and shut the door behind him, leaving her alone for the first time in hours.
Devery sank down on the small bed, crossing her legs beneath her, breathing out deeply, her eyes sliding shut. What she needed now was to meditate and grow her powers. Gabriel would be back, and she needed to be prepared.
An hour later her door burst open, Julian hanging onto the handle, "Let's go, your friends are out" he called, waving at her frantically. Devery nodded serenely and stood, shoving her hair back from her face, collecting it in a braid as she walked.
The compound seemed to be in a flurry of action, but everyone was giving Julian a wide berth, as though they were frightened. Devery lifted a brow but said nothing, continuing to keep her hand on her sword as they cut through the compound.
Julian pushed open the door to the office and ushered her in impatiently, bolting the door behind her. Devery smiled in relief at Alex and Noma, striding quickly across the room to embrace them both, noting the new scrapes and bruises they both sported.
"Are you okay?" she murmured as she pulled away.
Alex and Noma nodded, though Noma appeared shaken to Devery's eye.
"We're good" Alex murmured back, giving her a tight smile. "Tell you about it later" he whispered, casting a glance askance at Julian.
Devery caught the look and nodded, understanding that he had something to tell her that concerned Julian, that perhaps the other man wouldn't want shared with her. Alex stepped around her carefully and crossed his arms, frowning at Julian.
"That was a bit more difficult than you lead us to believe it would be."
Julian smiled, "Ahh, but you did survive, and I believe you have what I need?" he asked hopefully.
Alex sighed and shook his head ruefully, "Yea man, here" he muttered, digging into his pocket to hand over a brass disc that was smudged with blood. Julian snatched it away, his eyes gleaming with avarice.
"Now that you have what you need, how about our alliance?" Alex demanded.
Julian nodded, waving a hand to dismiss them, "Yes, of course. New Delphi will help Vega. You can go to the quarters I gave Nindayaa and rest before you are on your way."
Alex lifted his brows at the dismissal but nodded, ushering Devery and Noma out of the room ahead of him, pausing for a moment to glance back at Julian. The man was staring down at the key with an intensity that changed his face, turning it into a mask of greedy need.
With a sigh Alex shut the door behind him, following Noma and Devery through the halls and into a set of rooms that were tiny, but comfortable. Once the door to the rooms was shut Alex turned to Devery, reaching out to take her arm, squeezing softly.
"Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?" he murmured, worry in his gaze.
Devery smiled and shook her head, "I'm fine, they fed me and gave me this place to relax. What about you guys?" she asked in concern. "What happened in there?" she murmured.
Alex sighed, shaking his head, "You remember General Riesen?" he asked, brows lifting.
Devery frowned as she struggled through her memories, trying to recall his face. She had seen a lot of people in her life, for all that the world was a blasted wasteland, and she had killed even more.
"Older guy, right? Tall, grey hair, blue eyes?" she asked
Alex nodded, "He's here. In the jail. He's been fighting the 8-balls and staying alive…barely."
Devery frowned deeply, "Isn't he the leader of Vega? What the hell is he doing here?" she demanded. It made no sense…why would General Riesen leave Vega?
Alex shook his head, "I don't know why he's here, he wouldn't say. What I do know is that we need to get back to Vega and get Claire the support she needs against Gabriel. He'll attack the city if he thinks it's weak."
"I don't know if that's true Alex, he's obsessed with you definitely, but I don't know that he would attack Vega if you weren't there." Devery shook her head, frowning, "I think Vega will be safe for now. I don't disagree that we need to get back, but I want to stay here and see what Julian is up to."
Noma frowned and stepped forward, "You mean stay behind? No way, that's not safe" she disagreed, shaking her head vehemently.
"I think we can all agree that I can hold my own against these guys. I just want to see if I can find out why Julian wanted that key" Devery insisted.
Noma cast a skeptical glance to Alex who shook his head, "I don't like it. But if you're sure that you can handle it, then by all means, stay. Just be safe."
Devery nodded and smiled at them both, "I will. You guys should go now while it's still light out. Make good time before things get bad out there."
Alex nodded in agreement and looked around the quarters, wondering where their packs were. "Where's our stuff?" he murmured.
Devery pointed to the doorway of the other room, "They brought them by earlier." She watched as Alex nodded, ducking into the other room, re-emerging moments later with all three of their packs.
Tossing Noma her pack he shrugged his on before turning to Devery, "Don't stay here too long, I don't trust Julian."
With a lift of her brow Devery smiled dryly, "I don't either, that's for damn sure. You guys need to get going, now" she urged, nudging his arm, pushing him firmly towards the door. Alex nodded and put a hand on Noma's lower back, guiding her out the door ahead of him.
"Stay safe" he ordered Devery, giving her a last, brief smile as they walked swiftly away. Devery watched them walk away, a foreboding feeling washing over her that left her sick to her stomach. She said a silent prayer that they would be safe on their journey to Vega and that Gabriel would leave them well enough alone.
After a few moments she sighed and shut the door, turning to inspect the room more thoroughly. There was a loose panel of wood in the bathroom that she was able to pry loose and jam the bag in, dragging the trash can in front of it to ensure that it stayed in place.
Standing back she examined her work, nodding in satisfaction. No one should notice unless they were actively looking for her things, and it would buy her time to go speak with Julian. Pulling the door shut behind her, she pulled her hood up over her head, keeping her eyes low as she walked.
People looked askance at her, eyes narrowing in suspicion, some in recognition, and she could hear the trail of whispers that followed her as she continued through the halls to the office where she had last seen Julian.
Shoving the door open she suppressed a grin at the sight of Julian jumping in surprise, a slight yelp springing from his lips. He was still clutching the key in one hand, but this time there was a jar of some sort on the table in front of him, a jar that he quickly stepped in front of as Devery entered the room.
Devery smothered a smile, stepping forward to crowd Julian back towards the jar, "What's that?" she asked innocently, pointing around him to the black, shiny jar resting on the counter. Julian skirted sideways and tried to cover up the jar, his brow furrowing.
"It's nothing. What can I do for you?" he exclaimed, his face twisting to try and appear pleasant, but ultimately he really only appeared strained and irritated.
She shrugged and leaned against the counter next to him, smiling faintly. "Nothing really, I just wanted to see if you would tell me a little bit about yourself, where you come from, how New Delphi was founded, stuff like that" she murmured.
Julian studied her for a moment before sighing, shaking his head with a soft smile, "Very well, if you'll play 20 questions with me, I'll give you some answers as well." He lifted a brow as he sat on the counter next to her, leaning against the console and propping up a foot on the chair before him.
Devery nodded and sat in the chair across from him, crossing her foot over her knee, "Alright. What would you like to know?" she murmured.
Julian grinned, "What is your real name?" he inquired curiously, his eyes tracking over her face, taking in her features for some clue as to who she was.
"Devery Jacobs" she murmured, smiling faintly, brushing hair out of her eyes before murmuring, "How do you know Gabriel?"
Julian froze, his fingers knotting together. "That" he whispered, "is a very personal story."
Devery nodded slowly, "I'm sure it is, but you agreed to share." She knew that Gabriel had called him a dyad, but she didn't know what the hell that was, or why Gabriel had looked so furious at seeing him.
Julian gave her a dirty look before sighing, "Fine." He let out a huff before continuing. "Thousands of years ago I was with Gabriel and Michael at Sodom and Gomorrah, we were sent to destroy and cleanse the cities." He shook his head in derision, "Gabriel and Michael took the mission seriously, releasing those that they felt were righteous. I took a more…liberal approach and destroyed the cities, the people within them and everything surrounding them."
Devery's brows shot up, "How adorable" she murmured. Julian gave her a murderous look before continuing.
"I took life gratuitously, according to Michael and Gabriel. They forced me to my knees and shoved a sword into my spine, sending my soul into the ether. It ripped me into shreds, turning me into something weak, unable to possess a body for centuries."
He shook his head, "Finally, I found this body and possessed it." His features were lined with anger and derision, "I'll get my revenge on Gabriel and Michael if it's the last thing I do" he hissed.
What a fucking nut job, Devery thought to herself with a sigh. As if dealing with Gabriel wasn't bad enough, now she had to contend with this asshole. "Well that sounds lovely. Is that why you have this jar? Will it help you destroy them?" she asked sarcastically.
Julian scowled at her, his hands clenching onto the rim of the counter, eyes flashing dangerously as he snapped, "It's not a jar. It's an amphora, and it has more power than even you possess." He snatched the amphora off the counter and stroked the smooth black side of it, his gaze possessive as he continued, "It holds the power to destroy this world, if used properly."
Devery didn't like the sound of that, especially not in the hands of this psycho….or Gabriel's hands for that matter. Both one of these men was particularly mentally unstable, and if they decided to use this amphora against humanity or each other, the devastation could be unspeakable.
She needed to get the amphora away from Julian…. "May I see it?" she asked innocently, trying to sound curious.
Julian lifted his reverent gaze from the jar and studied her, his gaze cautious. After a moment he smirked and shook his head, "I think not my dear. Power like this won't be leaving my grasp." He laughed softly, "Nice try though."
Devery made a soft humming noise, smiling tightly, pondering if she could attack him and steal the amphora away and escape without causing a fuss. Probably…if she was fast.
Julian stood abruptly and waved a hand, "Come, I want to show you something, since we're sharing" he said with an unpleasant little laugh. He led her out of the office and through the dank hallways, taking a different route than they had gone on to the jail, this time going to another seemingly abandoned part of the compound.
He paused at another large door and retrieved a key from his pocket, jimmying the door open and flipping on a light, waving a hand for her to look. "After you" he murmured, watching her closely as she stepped forward.
Devery slid past him, her hand resting on her gun, feeling his eyes unpleasantly on her skin, like a hand on the back of her neck that she wanted to slap off. When she looked deeper into the room she let out a soft hiss; row upon row of 8-balls stood before her, blank black eyes staring forward, no expression on their faces, no breath issuing from their bodies, seemingly dead.
"What the hell is this?" she demanded, whirling on Julian, her hang itching to draw her gun and shove it in his face. The rational part of her brain kept it in the holster, knowing that threatening him with violence wouldn't be the way to get the answers she wanted.
Julian smirked, "This is my army. They are completely under my command and will be used to take down the higher angels, the ones who have completely destroyed heaven and earth. We will restore balance and take back what is ours."
Devery stared at him, aghast. What he wanted went against everything she believed in. "You're mad" she whispered, edging away from him, her spine connecting with the door frame.
Julian's handsome face crumpled into something ugly at her words, "No…I'm not. I'm doing what is necessary to take back our freedom; freedom that was taken from us by higher angels that never cared for us and only wanted to enslave us and humanity. I'm doing you a favor."
Devery shook her head, edging further away, her fingers curling around her gun, slowly readying to draw it, "No, you're serving yourself in this Julian….and I can't let you do this." She drew her gun in a swift, smooth motion, aiming it directly between his eyes, "I'm sorry" she whispered, regret filling her at having to take an angelic life.
Julian smirked and backed swiftly into the room holding his army, shutting off the lights, hampering her ability to shoot. "You will be" he hissed, his voice echoing in the large room, sending a chill down her spine.
A moment later she heard him chanting in a foreign language and a brilliant blue light filled the room, blinding her eyes. Lifting an arm to shield her eyes she tried to keep her gun trained on the door to prevent him from fleeing, but she knew she wouldn't be able to see anything if he did try.
The light grew brighter and suddenly it was rushing through the door towards her, and for a moment she swore it had a face….
Devery collapsed to the ground as the light entered her body, her limbs loose and limp. She felt nothing as her head smacked into the concrete and her legs crumpled at awkward angles beneath her.
She was no longer just Devery.
She was possessed.
Gabriel slugged back more whiskey, enjoying the burn as he glanced over at his brother. "Alex is in New Delphi brother. We could go there and retrieve him."
Michael laughed humorlessly, "Why? So you can kill him?" he demanded hopelessly.
Gabriel shook his head, "No, so we can help him to solve his markings and bring about Father's return."
Michael looked up at Gabriel in surprise and hesitation. It had been decades since he had trusted his brother, or rather since his brother had given him any reason to trust him, but Gabriel at least sounded sincere….perhaps he truly didn't want to harm Alex.
"The woman you sent, Devery, she is also there…and I…" Gabriel hesitated and took another biting swig of whiskey before continuing, "I think she could help…me."
Michael looked at Gabriel, truly shocked this time. It sounded as though Gabriel…liked Devery. But that would mean his brother liked a human. It hadn't happened since….Michael sighed deeply, running a hand over his face.
Since David.
If Devery could turn his brother's heart from hatred and violence, he would make sure that Gabriel saw her again.
"Then we go to New Delphi. We save them."
Michael stood and offered a hand down to Gabriel, smiling faintly when Gabriel looked up at him in shock. Nodding encouragingly at his brother he smiled softly when Gabriel took his hand and stood.
Minutes later they were in the air, flying towards New Delphi, to saving Alex, Noma, and Devery.
AN: Hello my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm going to try and write another one real quick for you, because I have a really good flow going so I don't want to cut it off! Anyway, please review and let me know what you think, I love hearing from you! Thank you all for reading, following, favoriting!