Angel of the Damned

AotD - 20

“Just relax,” Talesa said. “I’ve had a long talk with Ambassador Tallon, he is extremely sorry for what he said.  It was the height of the war, you have to understand we were,” she paused for a moment before deciding upon the correct word, “cautious, of Lyrakk defectors.”

“I meant every word I said, did then and I still do,” Tallon muttered. He took a sip of the drink in front of him.  Talesa narrowed her eyes at him.

“Out of concern for your health,” Talesa said, adopting her diplomat voice, “I would highly suggest you keep comments like that to yourself Ambassador.  We wouldn’t want a particularly dangerous wanted felon attacking you.  Now would we?”

Tallon didn’t respond and Anne refused to make eye contact with her father.  She looked down and Anton took her hand, bringing a slight smile to her face.  Drake surveyed the table, and then looked to Talesa.

“So, where are the archangels?” he asked.

“On their way,” Talesa said at the same moment, Raphael and Gabriel walked in.  Gabriel had a slight limp with his gait. They took their seats in silence and Gabriel still clung to the bible.

Several servants entered and set plates down in front of everyone.  Drake did a double take as a steak was placed in front of him and saw a slab of meat in front of Nathan.

“We do accommodate special diets here, Drake.  You should know that,” Talesa said.  She took a bite of her salad and they commenced eating.  Gabriel kept a single hand on the bible at all times, seemingly shaken up.

“So, Gabriel, is that Ebony’s bible?” Drake asked.

Gabriel looked over at Drake, his golden eyes sharp as daggers with grief. “What does it matter to you?” Gabriel asked.

“Hey, tomorrow I am setting out for the bogs,” Drake said. “I know a way to get down to hell so I can find your wife and bring her home.  I really don’t want to be your enemy, Gabriel.  I was a little pissed earlier that you’d allow your wife to be locked inside her own head for up to two centuries, but I don’t want to have bad feelings between us because of it.  Now, is that Ebony’s?”

“Yes,” Gabriel said. “Half of the pages are ready to fall out and I keep pressing her to get a new one, but she won’t.  Says it was her mothers.  What makes you think she is still alive?”

“The fact you haven’t fled Dontnod for Paradiso in a blubbering pile of tears, for starters,” Drake said. “If Ebony was dead you’d know it, plus you walked in limping and absolutely nothing is wrong with your leg.  So, that means her leg is injured and it won’t heal quickly for some reason.”

Anne looked up from her salad, “How do you know nothings wrong with his leg?” she asked.

Drake looked to her and began to explain, “I can hear the blood flowing in his veins and how his muscles move, the way they clench up against his bones.  The blood flow isn’t restricted and the muscle isn’t inflamed.  There aren’t any fractures in the bone despite it being hollow and easily breakable.  There are no ruptures in the veins or blood vessels in or around the bones.  The leg is in perfect health, much like the rest of him except for that muscle in his back that didn’t reconnect spot on and restricted the movement of his left arm.” He looked to Gabriel and addressed him. “It’s a half inch to the left isn’t it?”

“It is,” Gabriel said. “Our healers weren’t able to work any form of magic to heal the wound.  She didn’t mean to hurt me.”

Drake narrowed his eyes and looked at Gabriel, “What do you mean?” he asked.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Gabriel said. “Ebony struggles with the affliction I gave her when I changed her.”

“Affliction?” Drake asked.