Jared squeezed my hand, and I remembered too late his rule of silence. A man at the front of the opposing group ripped away his hood, revealing his enraged eyes. “You are not all owed to speak here!” he said. His body shook as he spoke.
Samuel and Claire took a defensive stance in front of Jared and me. Jared squeezed my hand again, this time in comfort. He brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them. An overwhelming urge to cry overcame me, and although I begged myself not to, my eyes fil ed with salty tears and dribbled down my cheeks.
Eli casual y pushed Samuel and Claire to the side to approach me. “Look what you've done,” Eli said, lifting my chin. He used his thumbs to wipe the twin lines of tears. “Upsetting the bride on her wedding day.” He turned to the man. “Apologize, Michael, and then mind your manners for the remainder of our time here.”
Michael stood tal . “Forgive me,” he said, his body rigid with subdued rage.
I nodded once, cowering against Jared.
Samuel took a spot next to Jared, and Claire stood next to me. Eli returned to his position, but this time he stood more central between the two groups. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. The Ryel siblings, along with Samuel and the cloaked men, did the same. I fol owed suit, wondering if I looked ridiculous, or if it was expected. Jared didn’t offer a suggestion either way, so the safe option was to imitate the others.
After a short time, Eli began to speak in his usual soft, matter-of-fact tone. “Al praise to the Most High, as this is His court and His kingdom. I wil use the common tongue for our Nina, so that she may understand. I, Eliath, angel of the Divine Plan, wil act on the Lord Almighty’s behalf. My decision is final.” He glanced at both Jared and Michael. “Aggression wil not be tolerated.”
Jared and Michael nodded.
Eli looked to me, and his eyes softened. “Michael has made a claim against Jared for the death of his earthen son, Isaac.”
My first inclination was to open my mouth, but after my public reprimand from Michael, I was hesitant.
Eli sensed my fear, and smiled. “Don’t be afraid, Nina. You may speak.”
“Um….” I looked to Jared, who’d told me just the opposite just a few minutes before. Any caution was absent from his face. “Jared didn’t kil Isaac,” I said. My voice was soft, but firm. Even if I incriminated myself, I couldn’t let Jared take the blame for my actions.
Eli nodded, knowingly and patiently. “The actions leading to Isaac’s death are why we’re here, Nina. You may enter your argument in a moment. I assure you this wil be a fair proceeding.”
“Then why do Jared and Claire seem so nervous?” I said, deliberately leaving Bex’s name out. “This doesn’t feel like a casual inquiry.”
“You’re right. It’s not. The charges against Jared are very serious. A life was lost. Archs are not all owed to kill humans to protect their Taleh. Half- Breeds are exempt from our rules, as they are half human and all owed free wil . However, because Half-Breeds are privy to those rules, it is important that they not take advantage. Do you understand?”
“Y-yes,” I said, afraid to say my next words. Eli seemed to have unending patience, but I didn’t want to test it. “But…Jared didn’t kill Isaac.”
Michael’s body twitched, and he began to speak in a language so beautiful, I knew it was of Heaven. Eli interrupted.
“English, Michael. It’s polite.”
Michael sighed with frustration. “Why do you waste your time?” he said to Eli. “We don’t explain ourselves to them.”
“Patience,” Eli said simply. He looked to me, then. “Al actions leading to Isaac’s death are in review. In this case, Jared revealing himself to you plays a part. Typical y, we would trace to the beginning, and hold the individual responsible. In this case, the individual would be Jared’s father, Gabriel, for revealing himself to Lil ian Van Buren. That action ultimately resulted in Isaac’s death. But, because Gabriel has already been judged for that action, the responsibility fal s on Jared.”
I frowned, stil confused.
Eli smiled in understanding. “Think of the Garden of Eden. Our Lord judges wrongs based on chain reactions. It is the way of things.”
“You mean he holds grudges,” I said.
“No,” Eli said with a smal chuckle. “No, that is not what I mean. He considers the root of the problem when He makes a decision.”
“’The sins of the father’ type of thing?”
“It’s difficult to explain in human terms, Nina. The short answer is yes.”
Jared had made his choices, but being blamed for being the product of his parents’ love, and for me for the death of Donovan was unacceptable to me. He was my husband, after all . It was now my duty to protect him, as wel . I stood tal . “What about me?”
Jared tensed. “Nina,” he chided.
I glanced at Jared, but didn’t heed his warning. “On grounds that my father made choices that could have been the cause of everything that’s happened, and the fact that I am the one who kill ed Isaac’s Taleh…shouldn’t I be the one on trial?”
“Yes,” Michael growled, low and frightening, through his teeth.
Eli touched my shoulder. “You are, Nina. Every choice you make. His decision for you wil be later. Jared is held to a different standard, set apart from Heaven and Earth; rules for his kind that he is aware of. Now,” he smiled with kindness and maybe a bit of amusement, “if you are satisfied, we wil continue.”
Knowing that even if I did come to understand, I would never agree, I nodded. The expression on Eli’s face told me that he was aware of my feelings, and he appreciated that I was wil ing to let him move forward.
A new level of intensity weighed on everyone—everyone but Eli, who seemed impervious. Michael’s chest heaved as he readied himself to make his case and avenge Isaac’s death. As Michael took a step forward, his smal army lifted the cloaks from their faces. I shouldn’t have been, but I was surprised. I expected them all to look like Michael: Dark eyes and hair. Instead they more closely resembled Claire. A few of them looked upon me with curiosity, others with disdain, but mostly they seemed to be there out of duty and not personal reasons. That logic went against why Claire and Samuel appeared so uneasy.
Eli spoke. “Michael….”
“Isaac had no choice!” he said. “He was important. He was given gifts unlike any Half-Breed. The choices of his Taleh do not justify his death!”
Eli nodded. “Jared….”
Jared showed no emotion. “The choices of our Talehs never justify our deaths, but it is the duty and curse that we must accept to be obedient.”
Michael shifted his weight. “What do you know about duty, Half-Breed?”
Blood rushed to my cheeks. “How dare you,” I seethed.
“Nina,” Jared warned.
“Your son—the one with such gifts—was also half human. I suppose since Jared doesn’t support his Taleh living a life of crime and serving a demon, he doesn’t take his duty seriously?” I said, my temper temporarily removing any thoughts of my own safety.
A deep line formed between Michael’s brow, and his eyes glistened with anger. “My son was not as fortunate as Gabe’s. He accepted his fate and made the best of it. We cannot interfere with the free wil of humans. It is against His wil .”
“So is serving the other side,” I grumbled.
“Nina!” Jared growled.
Michael jerked forward, and arms burst from the long, black sleeves of cloaks behind him as hands held him at bay. Simultaneously, Samuel angled his body toward Jared in a protective stance. He didn’t crouch, as I had seen Claire do so many times before when she protected me.
Samuel would not fight his brothers, but he wouldn’t all ow them to harm us.
Claire leaned against my arm, and whispered in my ear. “Shut up, stupid. You’re not helping.”
“She should not speak here!” Michael said, jerking away from his all ies.