CW: Violence, fire, suicide mention, attempted murder, death threats

I tried to ignore the stares of the civilians as the Judge carried me through town toward a large stone building. The crowd parted ways for him like they feared him, skittering out of his path as if panicked rodaks. “You certainly have an effect on these people.”

The Angel glanced at the individuals we were passing. “That is because they respect me and my authority over them and the city.”

I shook my head and used what little energy I had to attempt wriggling out of his hold. “Looks more like fear to me. Those things aren’t the same.”

He glared at me as I struggled and tightened his grip. “As long as they listen to what I say, I don’t care which it is. Fear, respect, they aren’t that different. Besides, they should be afraid. No one wants to see me in the city. It means something serious is happening. I am what stands between them and the Corruption. There is not a person here that can protect this place as I do. This is my hill to defend, and I won’t lose it to people like you.”

I returned his glare and a whisper of heat rose from my Spark. “People like me, huh? Is one young-adult Scorpid really that serious a threat to an entire city apparently guarded by Angels?”

He shook his head and readjusted his hold on me. “Angel. Singular. This is my city and I will not have Corruption sneaking its way in. I’m doing you a favor. Some people would torture you first. I have no interest in watching you suffer. Forcing you into The Nine Pits is punishment enough.”

His words left me horror-struck, the fire inside me freezing. “What do you mean? Death collects everyone and weighs their balance. He’s supposed to give us a choice. They promised me we got a choice.”

He nodded as we began climbing a hill, the village fading into the distance. “That is usually correct. However, I’m not bound by that in specific cases. One of which is any case that involves Corruption. You must have the curse burned from your very Spirit. You should be able to return to the Living Realm in a handful of generations. That might be enough time.”

I contemplated his words in panicked silence as the Judge carried me up a steep set of stone stairs. The higher we rose, the deeper my terror became. I wanted to figure my way out of this situation, but my thoughts were a constant high-pitched ringing, and I couldn’t process anything beyond my fear.

Don’t get scared. Get angry.

I swallowed my anxiety, and the ringing faded into the background, returning my focus to what I could do about the danger I was in. “I thought your people were all about Order. Doesn’t breaking the balance of life and death go against what your Patron stands for?”

He halted in his tracks and focused his blazing white eyes on me. “Did you, a Child of Chaos, just tell me, an Angel of the second highest degree, how my Patron would feel about breaking the balance created by Them?”

I meant get you angry.

I could sense his rage building, but returned the Angel’s intense gaze. “If that’s how you want to interpret it. I just figured you’re committing an unforgivable act by breaking something so important to the balance. Dalin would surely be disappointed in you.”

The edges of his gray feathers glowed like his eyes, and the air was heavy around us. “How dare you allow Their name to pass your filthy, Corrupt lips? I’m already going to kill you. Don’t make me change my mind on the torture.”

Stop antagonizing him.

I scoffed at him and ignored the instinct to placate my aggressor. Reasonable words weren’t working; it was time to get mean. “I imagine that is another act that disappoints Dalin. Torture’s messy, which doesn’t sound very Orderly of you. I’m sure Dalin tallies up your misdeeds and will present you with a list of failures before condemning you to the Pits.” His rage spiked higher each time I said the Deity’s name, the surrounding air crackling with excess energy.

He looked ahead of us and stood still as a statue. “You have made very foolish choices today. This one is suicidal. What good has it done you to make me angry? I told you I would be merciful. I told you that your death would be swift and painless. Why would you choose to enrage me?” The Angel spoke with a dangerous tone.

It took me a moment to find my voice beyond the blinding fear. “If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna earn it. You think I’m a monster? You think I want to have this…” I glared down at my bound hands. “...this thing inside of me? You think I chose this?”

He shook his head, but didn’t look down at me. “No. I do not believe that you chose this. No one would choose to be a pariah, a disease meant to be cured by force, if necessary. You choosing or not has nothing to do with this.”

I stared up at him in utter confusion. “Then why are you doing this? I can’t help what I am just like you can’t help what you are. I was born this way. It wasn’t a deal or a curse by a Corrupted Magic user. You’re right. No one would choose this. So, why am I being punished as though I did?”

The Angel turned his cold eyes to me again. “Because you all must be eliminated before you bring about a new age of Chaos. Your very existence is a pox upon our reality. You are the one breaking the balance more everytime you take a breath.” He was shaking with anger.

I tsked at him with a forced grin. “So, what you’re saying is the longer I delay you, the more I’m hurting your cause? Well, that’s gonna be a huge negative on Denali’s list.”

The Angel spread his wings and shot into the air, moving faster than I thought was possible even with Magic. The wind hit me so hard it was impossible to open my eyes, and it felt like my lungs were under pressure. He came to a sudden stop as we reached the clouds and hovered there. Just as I took my first full breath, he folded his wings and went into a nosedive. I was certain he was going to drop me or throw me against the stone fortress, and all I could do was again reach out to any Deity that would listen to my plea for mercy.

The air rushed out of my lungs when the Angel pulled up at the last minute and landed on a stone bridge which connected two of the fortress’ towers. My entire body was shaking as I tried to process what had happened and why I wasn’t dead.

The Angel dropped me to the stones, glaring down at me. “I could have broken your body against that wall. It wouldn’t have killed you with that, just shatter every bone in your body. I am a very patient person, yet somehow, you have made me so furious that I wish harm upon you instead of justice. You’re in luck that I found any sense before making an unwise choice.”

I pushed myself up against the bridge and took deep breaths to stop the shaking. “You think you’re the good guy. That you have the right to end someone’s life for something they can’t stop.” I drew the rest of the manic energy from my adrenaline rush into my Spark. “You’re not a good guy. You’re just another monster like all the others I’ve faced. And you know what?”

He raised a disdainful eyebrow at me. “What?”

I smirked at my captor and my eyes lit up. “I got away from all of them, too.” A wall of flames erupted from my extended hands and I scrambled to my feet, running toward one of the connected towers. It felt like I was going to pass out without access to any of my Magic, but this was my only opportunity to escape with my life. My heart sank when I rounded the corner and found the tower I chose had no way down.

The smell of burned feathers enveloped me, the Judge standing in the only exit. “Your foolishness knows no bounds.” He backed me up to the wall, his eyes piercing my Spirit. “I grow weary of this game. I have more important things to do than deal with an insignificant brat like you.” He grabbed me by the throat and carried me to the edge of the bridge, holding me over it with a contempt expression.

I stared down at the distant ground covered in rocks and debris, tears running down my face. I held onto his arm with my bound hands. “Please, please just let me go.”

“Gladly.”

My grip slipped, and I stared at the sky above me as I fell to my certain demise. There was nothing I could do. Even if I had the Power to fly, I didn’t have the Magic to fuel it. All I could do was wait while I fell for what seemed like an eternity.

I jolted when something hard and fast hit me and it took me a moment to realize it was a person. I stared at him with bewildered eyes, trying to form a question or express my appreciation with no luck. Instead, I examined his features, and I was unsure if a Demon was the savior I would have wanted. He had horns that wrapped around the sides of his head, the points resting on either side of his chin.

He shot up the side of the fortress and landed on the very bridge I was just thrown from. “You really need to talk to someone about your penchant for throwing people from high places, Syndriel.” The dark-haired man grinned at the outraged Angel, Syndriel’s wings ruffling from frustration. “What? You don’t look happy to see me.”

Syndriel clenched his fists. “Why are you here, Samuel?”

Samuel pouted as he folded his skeletal wings, which had a layer of skin so thin it looked like it might rip at any second. “Not even a hello? Even after I caught your friend?” Samuel laughed at the angry Angel. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

Syndriel rubbed his temples. “They are not my friend, they are a criminal I am executing, so if you would kindly hand them over, we can all go about our days.”

Samuel grinned at Syndriel, showing off his set of fangs. “Well, you won’t mind if I take them, then. You’re wasting good potential.”

The edges of Syndriel’s feathers glowed again, but far less bright than before. “This is none of your business, Demon. Drop my prisoner and walk away, or be hunted for breaking the agreements between our people.”

Samuel glanced down at me. “What’da ya think, kid? Life on the run or no life at all? Personally, I know my choice.”

Syndriel stalked toward us. “Your death will be so much worse if you go with him. Show yourself mercy and let me end it now.”

I shook my head, which was enough of an answer for Samuel. “Well, looks like it’s time to go. Lovely as usual, my friend. Let’s not meet again, shall we?” We shot up into the air just as Syndriel was within arm’s reach and soared away from the fortress.

I looked back at the bridge with a frown. “Won’t he just follow us?”

Samuel laughed, turning to face the fortress. “If he could follow us, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. You messed his wings up real bad. Good job, newbie. I think we’ll get along.” He continued in his intended direction. “What’s your name?”

I stared straight ahead, contemplating if death would have been a simpler fate than whatever the Demon had in mind. “Kindred. Kindred Karuda.”