Chapter 65 - Elijah's Story

Zadkiel regarded Anastasia with an expression of both amusement and intrigue. "My dear Anastasia," he began, his voice smooth yet firm, "you may be half-angel, half-human, but that human half will not allow you to live beyond five hundred years, let alone a thousand. I am afraid that will not suffice. Unless..."

"Unless I consider your offer," Anastasia interrupted without hesitation, her voice steady. Wyatt and Sean stiffened beside her, exchanging alarmed glances.

"What offer?" Wyatt's voice thundered, his eyes narrowing as he studied his daughter.

Anastasia turned briefly toward them, then faced Zadkiel once more. "Zadkiel, your offer is extraordinary. Tempting, even. But you're asking me to abandon my human life, to leave my family behind in order to stay here—"

"WHAT?!" Wyatt's rage was immediate, his voice echoing across the chamber.

Anastasia stepped toward him, grasping his hands in hers. "Dad, think about it. Everyone is hunting my child. If I don't accept this, they will stop at nothing to take my baby from me. Here, in the Celestial Realm, my child will be protected. And Bastian—" she hesitated, glancing at him, "—Bastian will get to be part of our baby's life."

Bastian flinched at the mention of his name, his brow furrowing as confusion clouded his expression. He remained silent, watching the scene unfold like an outsider.

Wyatt stared at Anastasia, his rage shifting into grim understanding. Before he could respond, Anastasia turned back to Zadkiel.

"Angel Zadkiel," she addressed him formally, "if I consider this offer, may I propose some reasonable conditions?"

Zadkiel's lips curled into a slight smile. "Go on."

"Spare Elijah and the others. Allow me to see my father and brothers from time to time. Restore Bastian's memories so that we can raise our child together. If you grant me these requests, I will accept."

"Absolutely not—" Gabriel snapped, stepping forward, but Zadkiel silenced him with a raised hand.

Zadkiel studied her for a long moment. He was impressed—her bravery, her cunning. The conditions were fair, yet not all of them were his alone to grant. "Your conditions have been heard, Anastasia. I must confer with my council."

"But my liege—!" Gabriel protested again, his voice sharp with discontent.

"Enough," Zadkiel said firmly. "We shall reconvene within the hour. For now, I assume you all must be hungry. Gabriel, escort them to the courtyard and see that they are fed."

Gabriel's fists clenched, his teeth grinding together, but he bowed stiffly. "Yes, my liege."

As they walked out, Matt immediately rushed to Wyatt and Sean, pulling them into a tight embrace. Jenny followed suit, relief evident in her face. As they walked through the corridors, Matt stayed close to Anastasia, whispering fiercely, "Ana, you're making a mistake. You can't trust them."

She said nothing, lost in thought. Ahead, Bastian walked alone, shoulders tense, lost in some internal struggle she couldn't yet understand.

By the time they reached the courtyard, the tension had not lessened. The angels provided food—fruit, warm bread, and celestial wine—but no one truly had an appetite. Anastasia forced herself to take slow bites, savoring what might be the last meal she shared with her family.

Her gaze drifted toward Bastian. He sat apart from the others, his expression distant, as if he were trying to piece together a puzzle that didn't fit.

On the other side of the courtyard, Elijah sat alone, his food untouched. Something weighed heavy on his mind, and Anastasia, unable to ignore it, approached him.

She sat beside him, voice soft. "Elijah, I'm sorry for your loss. If it's not too painful, will you tell me what happened?"

Elijah hesitated before speaking. "Laila and I were married nearly four hundred years ago. We were deeply in love. She was a human-born angel—rare, but powerful. The Celestial City needed her strength, her goodness. She was a warrior. But when they gave her the elixir to erase her human memories, she only pretended to drink it. She refused to forget her children on Earth."

Anastasia's eyes widened. "She still visited them, didn't she?"

He nodded. "She watched them grow in secret. And when they had children, she revealed herself—not as their grandmother, but as a protector. She did the same for their children, and the cycle continued. But it was forbidden."

Anastasia swallowed hard. "They punished her for it."

Elijah's fists clenched. "At first, they only banned her from Earth. A light sentence. But someone pushed for harsher punishment, claiming leniency would disrupt the balance of power. They sentenced her to a hundred years in the Ethereal Battlefield."

"And she… she didn't survive," Anastasia whispered, dread creeping up her spine.

"No," Elijah said bitterly. "She was killed in an unexpected monster hoard ambush, along with twenty other angel prisoners with similar sentences for breaking the laws. They didn't stand a chance. I don't know why I am even telling you all this, but I thank you for listening."

Anastasia felt rage boil beneath her skin. " Elijah, in these times, friends are too few so one more friend couldn't hurt right?" She smiled at him as he nodded in agreement. "Who pushed for a harsher sentence?"

Elijah's gaze darkened as he turned his head ever so slightly. Across the courtyard, Gabriel stood with his arms crossed, an air of self-satisfaction about him.

Anastasia's breath hitched. "It was him."

Elijah nodded. "He took it to the Seraphim, made a case against her, and forced the council's hand. They had no choice. He knew exactly what he was doing."

The realization made Anastasia's blood run cold. Gabriel—an Archangel—had orchestrated Laila's death. How many others had suffered the same fate under his hand? How many more would suffer?

She turned back to Elijah, eyes blazing with fury. "We will get your vengeance, one way or another."

Elijah studied her, a flicker of something dark and determined behind his eyes. "Then we'll have to be patient. Gabriel is powerful. The council trusts him. We cannot strike until we are certain of our success."

Anastasia exhaled sharply, forcing herself to remain calm. "Then we wait. But make no mistake—his day will come."

From across the courtyard, Gabriel caught her gaze. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. As if he welcomed the challenge.