Chapter 44 - Summoned for Judgement

The air in the room seemed to thicken as the figure stepped out from the doorway. His long trench coat brushed against the floor with every step, and his expression carried the weight of someone who had seen too much. Elijah. Anastasia's stomach churned with irritation.

"Elijah?" she blurted, her voice laced with suspicion.

He nodded solemnly. "The Celestial City," he repeated, his tone grave, his dark eyes locked on hers.

Ana blinked. "You've got to be kidding me. The entire Celestial City? That's the new enemy?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Elijah replied smoothly. His voice carried an unsettling calm, as though this revelation wasn't the most absurd thing she'd heard all week.

Anastasia crossed her arms, glaring. "You're gonna have to do better than just dropping a bombshell like that and expecting me to trust you."

Elijah sighed, the faintest trace of exasperation flickering across his face. "I understand your hesitation. First, let me apologize for the tactless way Zython has handled things." He shot a pointed glance at the demon, who shrugged with a half-smile, clearly unbothered. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to have a word with you. Outside. The gardens could do you some good after being stuck here."

"Oh, now you're willing to play nice because you need something?" Anastasia shot back, her tone sharp. "That's very demon-like of you."

Elijah didn't flinch. "Fair enough. My apologies."

Ana hesitated, then gestured toward Rose. "She comes too."

"Very well," Elijah agreed, nodding.

As they stepped out into the sunlit gardens, the change in scenery was almost jarring. The air was fresh, the sky clear, and a lavish table stood at the center, laden with an array of food that looked like it belonged in a five-star restaurant. It was almost insultingly idyllic.

"What or where is this place?" Anastasia asked while taking in her surroundings.

Elijah smiled proudly as he replied, "This is one of my humble dwellings that I like to take refuge in when I am in America. Beautiful isn't it?"

"Well yes except for the little of demons hanging around tarnishing its appeal," Anastasia snorted, looking unimpressed which made Elijah chuckle softly.

Zython and Rose hung back slightly, their conversation a mixture of low murmurs and the occasional snarky comment. Anastasia kept her focus on Elijah, her unease mounting.

"So," she began as they approached the table, "what's this big revelation you've dragged me out here for?"

Elijah gestured for her to sit, then took a seat across from her. He didn't touch the food, his demeanor as composed as ever. "I've received some... distressing news from my contact within the Celestial City."

Anastasia didn't respond immediately, but her jaw tightened. She reached for a piece of bread, more for something to do with her hands than actual hunger.

Elijah continued, his tone matter-of-fact. "Bastian was brought before the council. Gabriel presented a case against him, and the decisions made were..." He trailed off, studying her.

Anastasia's grip on the bread tightened. "I don't care about Bastian's fate." Her words were clipped, but the way her eyes darted betrayed her.

Elijah's lips curled into a faint smile. "Of course not. Clearly, you're still upset about his reasoning for his departure."

Her gaze snapped to him, sharp and accusing. "And how would you know that?"

Elijah leaned back, an infuriatingly knowing look on his face. "Let's just say I know more than you think. For instance, I doubt you know the real reason he left."

Her stomach twisted, but she kept her voice steady. "He told me everything I needed to know. That was enough."

"Was it?" Elijah countered. He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering. "What if I told you Gabriel threatened your life—and your unborn child's life—if Bastian didn't leave with him immediately?"

Each syllable hit like a stone, sinking deep into her chest. For a moment, she couldn't speak and the bread in her hand crumbled under her grip.

"You're lying," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elijah raised an eyebrow, his expression calm but challenging. "Why would I lie to you? What could I possibly gain from feeding you false truths?"

"To manipulate me. To get me on your side," she snapped, her voice regaining some strength.

He shook his head, his expression almost pitying. "I don't need lies to secure your alliance. You'll join me regardless once you hear what the council has decided."

Anastasia's silence stretched, her mind racing. She didn't want to believe him, but there was something in his tone, his eyes, that made it hard to dismiss outright.

"Elijah," she said finally, her voice hard, "start talking."

He did and with each word, her anger grew.

He described the council meeting in excruciating detail—how Gabriel had argued that Bastian's ties to humanity made him a liability, how they had deemed their unborn child unfit to walk among humans, how they planned to raise the child in the Celestial City without her.

Anastasia's fists clenched tighter with every revelation, her blood boiling. "They can't do that," she hissed. "They don't get to decide what happens to my child."

Elijah met her glare with a steady gaze. "And yet, they already have."

Rose, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly stood, her face flushed with anger. "Wait a damn second. Did you just say the angels are planning to call all of them back to the Celestial City? Permanently?"

Elijah turned to her, his expression softening slightly. "Yes. Once the war is over, the alliance between angels and humans will end. The angels will return to fulfill their duties in the Celestial City."

"No," Rose said, her voice trembling with rage. "You're telling me Billy's just... leaving? Forever?"

Elijah hesitated, then nodded. "Not just Billy. Because of his lineage—being Raphael's son—he's being called back immediately, along with the other archangels who remained on Earth."

Rose's chair screeched against the ground as she shoved it back and stood. "That's not happening. I don't care what kind of 'council' they are—no one takes Billy from me."

Anastasia stared at Elijah, her voice low and dangerous. "What did they decide to do with Bastian?"

Before he could answer, a loud, resonant bell rang out, echoing across the gardens. Elijah stood abruptly, his face grim.

"Looks like you're about to find out," he said.

The sound of wings—many wings—filled the air. Anastasia's heart pounded as she looked up to see shadows descending from the sky, their forms growing larger with every second.

"Elijah," she demanded, her voice shaking, "what's happening?"

He didn't answer. His gaze was fixed upward, his jaw tight.

The first figure landed with a thud, his golden armor gleaming, his eyes cold and unyielding.

Gabriel.

"Time's up," Gabriel said, his voice echoing through the garden. "You've been summoned."

The blood drained from Anastasia's face. "Summoned for what?"

Gabriel's gaze pinned her in place. "Judgment."