Phantom Pain (trilogy)

Loss

Chapter 31: Loss

The first thing I noticed, on turning around, was the fear: in the eyes of my brothers, in the eyes of Gavyn. They were terrified. They did not understand! I had dispatched a traitor. I had done what Gabriel and the others had failed to do.

The second thing I noticed was the temperature of the sword. It had always been cool if I needed to be soothed, or warm if I'd been chilled. Now it was hot, almost burning to the touch. But that brought me comfort in a whole new way, because I could feel the power. And I was hot too, charged with anger that had not dissipated, even with the death of the one who had taken my wings.

No angel moved forward, and the cavern was as quiet as death. Then Gavyn ran towards me.

“Ramie!”

What was next, on my list of tasks? Ambriel. She had still not been found. Gavyn moved as if to touch me, but stopped half a meter away, drawing his hand to his chest as if he'd been burned.

“Ow, shit, that hurt.” There were tears in his eyes.

There was no taking it back now, the aura of power that surrounded me. Gavyn's emotions were of no concern. He was irrelevant to the situation at hand. He stopped staring at me, as I had failed to do whatever it was he wanted of me. Instead he turned to the woman nailed to the cross. I turned my head slowly to follow his movement, motionless in the center of the room.

“Lila, oh God, on no.” There were tears welling up in his eyes, and he walked up to the base of the cross.

His fingers curled around the bloody nails, as if he planned to yank them out himself. No progress seemed to be made. Letting out a sob, he fell to his knees, bloody fingers leaving smudges on his face.

The necklace—something reminded me—the key.

It fascinated me. I could feel it, even here. Issac Bomani and Antonia Moore were still mysteries to me. It was a shame I had been unable to save them. That was an odd thought. They were only human, after all. But Antonia Moore had locked this sword away in a castle I still did not understand. And Dez had spoken of Pastor Bomani in such an awestruck way. If the necklace held power that was even a fraction of Micheal's sword's, it could be devastating in the wrong hands.

“Gavyn?” I stood over him, looking down.

He struggled to stop the tears, as he peered up at me.

“Your father's key, give it to me.”

Maybe I should have attempted to soften my voice. Gavyn had always responded so well when I'd spoken to him as a human.

“Wha--what?” He stammered, back against the bottom of the cross, knees pulled up to his chest. “Ramie, are you--”

I cut him off. “Give it to me.”

“No.” He got to his feet, his shoulder at Lila's knees.