Unholy | Noah Sebastian

|Chapter Twenty-Seven|

I pace the length of my balcony, sipping whiskey, while I wait for Nick to return. My mind is deafening with all of the ways this could go wrong. I pray I didn't make this worse for Noah. Michael had to let him into the Blue, if I did nothing else, I would help Noah save his brother.

I watch the minutes countdown, checking my phone every minute to see how long it's been, time was passing so slowly it feels like it's stopped. I drink glass after glass of whiskey, numbing myself while I wait.

It's been half a day when Nick finally gets back.

He stands in my living room, looking worse than when he left. His face softens when I rush to him, my whiskey forgotten on the railing of the balcony. His hands grip my shoulders, I haven't said anything yet, but he knows what I want to know. What I need to know.

"It was a good plan, Briar, but it didn't go the way it was supposed to," he relays, his face blanching.

"What happened, Nick? Is he okay? Did he save his brother?"

Nick looks crestfallen as he pushes me to sit on the sofa, my heart drops out of my stomach and bile rises, something is wrong. So very wrong.

"Spit it out, Nick, what happened?"

"Michael tried to let him into the Blue, but the Creator wouldn't allow it," Nick shakes his head, "Noah's brother was executed in front of all of us, as an example."

"No," I whisper, Noah did so much to help him for the Creator to kill him anyway.

"That's not all, I'm afraid," he starts, and I don't think I can take any more. I can't bare to think of how much Noah is hurting. "He cast him to the Abyss, where Lucifer is still furious about Lilith."

"No," I repeat. "No, this was supposed to fix everything, how is it worse now?"

I brush past him, I don't know what to do. I take long strides across my apartment, this was my hail Mary, I have nothing left. There are no more tricks, I've failed him.

"Calm down," Nick says, catching up with me.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" I shout at him, tears blur my eyes as I stare up at him, "Tell me how to fix it, but don't you tell me to calm down. This is the worst thing that could have happened!"

"Noah can handle himself in the Abyss, he's been there since the beginning of time. Just don't do anything stupid, Briar, you still have a job to do."

"You think I'm going to sacrifice myself now? You have lost your mind, I'm not doing a fucking thing for the Creator! If he wants to make examples, Nick, he's going to get one!"

"You'd let Allison die because you are mad?" he challenges, I had forgotten the other part of the Annihilation. If I don't make the sacrifice, everyone on the planet will die. I feel my face drop and I know I can't back out, if for nothing else than to save her.

"No, of course not," I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

"It's not over, Briar, just a set back," he says gently.

I hear the words he's saying, but I can't help but think I can't actually count on him. I was going to have to figure this out on my own. I needed to get away from him and I needed to figure out how to get in contact with Cassiel, he would help me help Noah.

I just had no idea how to get to him. Could I reach anyone from the Gray? I knew I could meet with Noah and Lilith, but could I figure out how to get to someone I didn't know? Nick said it wasn't over, and he was right. I was going to get Noah out of the Abyss. I couldn't bring his brother back, but I could bring him back.