I opened my mouth, but he silenced me by holding his hand in the air. “Keeping you in the dark has always been the plan. After all, what do you think would happen if the rest of the immortals discovered that most Demon had angelic powers?”
I shook my head. “Most Demon I’ve met are weak creatures who prey on humans.”
Bannik stood, towering over his desk as claws seeped out of fingernails. “Oh?”
Swallowing, I took a healthy step back.
“You sense it even now.” His eyes closed for a few seconds, and when they opened, they were black, soulless. “When Angels give up, break the rules, or decide not to say sorry…” His laughter was deep, empty. “They are suddenly unwanted, sent to the earth for the rest of their miserable existence, most of them were under the impression that
they were like humans, without any sort of abilities. Until Sariel.”
“Sariel’s good,” I whispered.
“Sariel said sorry, but he was still punished, like the rest of us. Because of his mistake I will never again taste the air of heaven, or feel the warmth of the sun as it rises over the horizon. The earth no longer speaks to me. The mountains no longer sing in my presence, and when the moon makes its appearance it turns its face away in shame.” He lifted his hand into the air. “The tides pull away when I walk near the ocean, but I think,” His black eyes glistened, “The worst has to be the songs.”
I kept moving backward as he spoke, trying desperately to find the door knob.
“The melody of the earth as it tilts on its axis, the planets as they sing in their specific languages all joining together in the chorus of the universe.” He glared at me his black eyes locking in on mine, like a tractor beam pulling my feet toward him. “I can no longer hear the song of creation.”
“If it makes you feel better, I can’t hear it either.”
“Silly immortal, you hear it every day. Your human side is simply too busy ignoring it to pay attention, so busy with inconsistent emotional thoughts that, in the end, truly don’t matter. The worst part—” He laughed again. “—is walking by a human who by all means should hear the music, who hears it on a daily basis, and doesn’t appreciate its beauty. I’ve killed humans for less. I’ll continue to kill them in their ignorance.”
“And me?” I asked, “What about me?”
He grinned. “I no longer have any use for you.”
“So you’re going to kill me?”
“No.” He shrugged. “It seems I won’t need to, since you’ve cheerfully done the deed yourself. Killing your own mate, why, it seems the darkness truly has taken hold.”
“No!” I screamed, lunging for him. “I just slowed him down.”
“Oh, you slowed him down all right.” He cackled. “Even now his heart slows to the rhythm of death. What did you think? Immortality is a fickle thing, my dear. He’s your mate, your lives are interconnected in a very special way that I’m sure Sariel… omitted.”
“Tell me,” I said through clenched teeth.
“I wonder if this is how Samson felt… after his hair was cut.” Bannik tapped his chin. “After all, you’ve done the same thing without realizing it… when you mate, it is possible, that one or the other person may give all of his angelic powers to the other, say, if he is worried about her safety, or about her leaving him—”
“—human.” I gasped, throwing my arms out to the sides as shreds of ice slammed against the walls.
Bannik ducked. “Before you leave….”
I stared him down then closed my eyes, forcing my will on him, trying to remember what Cassius had explained in training, only to have my eyes open and see that nothing had happened.
“This…” He smiled wickedly. “Is my favorite part.”
The wall behind him moved to the side.
I counted ten.
Ten men.
Huge.
All with red and black hair.
Chained to the walls.