Pray for the Wicked | ATEEZ

11.

"I bet you're-" I said, pausing, not even knowing what to say, "I bet you're just as nasty as you make others out to be." It was weak, barely a comeback, but it was all that I could come up with, and Sunoo stayed silent.

I huffed, letting go of Jake, "All we did was sleep," I mumbled under my breath.

"So what happened?" Jungwon asked, looking curiously from his chair across the room, "Who was he?"

"Who was-?" I paused, "Ah, Hongjoong? No one special, just a demon."

"You're lying," Sunoo said almost matter-of-factly as he crossed his arms over his chest, innocent eyes wide with disbelief. "Listen, you're really testing me-" I began but Niki interrupted me before the two of us could start arguing again.

"Is he a part of the Court of Deadly Sins?" the youngest asked, tilting his head a little, "An heir?"

"He's uhm- he's just a part of the Court of Wrath," I said, choosing the opposing court to the son of Azrael without much thought, "The others-" I began, which seemingly caught Jay off-guard.

"Wait, others?"

"Of couse," Jake said, "The portal would obviously be in the palace, wouldn't it?" he asked, turning to me with a look of mixed disbelief and surprise, "Were you in the palace? Are all of them heirs to the courts, then?"

"Wait," I croaked, "Wait, let me speak-"

"Does that mean that he- that Hongjoong is-?" Sunghoon said, his words faltering slightly as he chuckled and shook his head as if the thought he had just been about to voice was too ridiculous to even mention, "No, he can't be. We'd be in so much trouble."

I frowned a little, confused and dizzy as I whipped around to face each angel as they took turns spouting unfinished sentences and unanswered questions, opening my mouth to protest, to say something, when Heeseung caught me to it.

"He's the son of Lilith," he said.

The room fell silent, almlost eerily so, as all eyes went to me. "That explains why the portal opened, the son of Raphael continued, turning to me as well, "That explains why you were able to-"

"Quiet!" I exclaimed, feeling increasingly panicked as I realized how dangerous the information they now possessed was. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore my quickening heartbeat, "You haven't let me get a single word in," I said, frowning a little, "How did you even manage to get that information by asking questions you didn't even get any answers to? I-"

"We have to kill him. We have to close the portal," he said, making my eyes widen as my jaw fell slack, "What? No-"

"He wronged you," Heeseung exclaimed, "He kidnapped you and you expect us to do nothing? He- he-" he gestured at me.

"He protected me, as a matter of fact," I retorted, "They have done nothing to-"

"Nothing?! The war, Dahlia, they-"

"Let me speak!" I boomed, clenching my fists at my sides, no longer annoyed but, rather, angry, almost unexplainably so, as I sent the son of Raphael a warning look.

"What proof do we have?" I challenged, "We have nothing to prove the crimes we have accused them of. And what about us? The war, you say? It takes two to tango, Heeseung, and I'm starting to think that the lack of violence on our side of the story seems a little too convenient."

I realized as I spoke that, for some reason, I wanted to defend the demons, having come to the realization that the things they had told me in Odeion held some truth in them, "We seem a little too good considering the fact that we won the far, don't you think? And did we? Did we win? If yes, that leaves their blood on our hands and not the other way around, you realize that, right?"

"But we have to protect our honor, your honor," Heeseung tried, frowning at me as if he was unsure whether or not he had heard correctly, "We have to-"

But I was having none of it, "No. I will be the next empress of Illenium which means that it's my word that goes, not yours," I said, aiming a finger at him.

"That portal stays open and you will do nothing in the likes of killing demons or destroying portals unless I say so or so help me if I'll have you locked up. You won't go down there, and you won't touch as much as a single hair on their heads until we discuss this further."

I could see it in his eyes; grey the colour of ash and steel, that he wanted to argue as he stared at me in mixed disbelief and restrained irritation, the look mirrored on the other angels' faces as well, but he bowed his head, staying silent.

It had been an order, not a warning.

"Good," I said, my voice slightly shaky as the full weight of my words suddenly settled over me, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go see mother and come up with some sort of story or excuse to save your asses. I'm beyond grateful that you covered for me, so-"

I turned to Sunoo who looked almost flustered at the sudden attention, "Now I'll do the same for you. I'll lie for you. That makes us equal," I said, glancing back at Heeseung one last time, "Don't make me regret it."