Page 130 of Alastair

“I assure you. I make noattemptin doing so. It’s a mere fact.”

Were all council meetings like this? I stood to the side of the table and quietly observed them. Only one chair remained vacant: Michael’s. All of the chairs had cushioned seats and ornate engravings in the wood. Only one had gold inlay and gemstones, and the surliest of the bunch currently occupied it.

Uriel truly did view himself as the head of the council despite the rules in place that forbade any one angel from having all the power. He chided Raphael’s gluttony, yet he had no qualms about his own sense of pride and holier-than-thou complex.

Michael materialized by the door seconds later, holding on to Evangelos before pushing him forward. My friend’s stormy expression right then could’ve struck fear into anyone’s heart. I knew how big of a marshmallow he was, and he even mademeuneasy.

“Why am I here?” Evangelos asked. “Oliver and I are supposed to be scouting right now.”

“Oliver is with Dargan,” Michael told him. “You’re here to answer some questions.”

“Questions concerning what?”

Michael shoved him into a chair as Uriel stood and approached them. Golden cuffs appeared around Evangelos’ wrists. As an archangel of truth, the cuffs were one of Uriel’s gifts. The wearer was unable to lie when bound.

“I have a right to know why I’m being detained!” Evangelos said, struggling against the handcuffs. His stare darted around the room before stopping on me. “Commander Lazarus. I’ve served under you for many years. You see me as one of your trusted warriors. It’s why I was chosen to stay with you and the others on the island.”

“Correct. Youwereone of my trusted warriors,” I said, saddened it was no longer the case. “That trust has since been broken.”

“What? Why?” He tried to break off the cuffs, to no avail. “Release me at once!”

“What’s your relationship with the reaper called Holden?” Uriel asked him.

“Holden? I don’t know who—” Evangelos winced, then gritted his teeth. The lie couldn’t leave his lips. “Fine. He’s my lover. That’s not a crime.”

“No, it isn’t,” Michael agreed. “However, telling him classified informationis.”

Evangelos pressed his mouth into a thin line, choosing to keep his silence.

Uriel’s eyes flashed gold. “Reveal the truth you’re hiding. Did you tell Holden about Asa Morningstar’s sword?”

Sweat beaded at his temple, and the restraints tightened around his wrists, propelling him to answer. “Yes, I told him!”

“Why?” Michael asked.

“Because Holden helped Belphegor in the past with the souls,” Evangelos responded, the truth spilling from him. He couldn’t control it now. “I thought I could trust him. I thought he was on our side.”

“Our side?” I asked.

“An ally of Lucifer.”

My blood went cold. “You’re a spy.”

Silence.

“Answer him!” Uriel commanded.

“Y-Yes,” Evangelos responded. “But I haven’t always been a spy. When Belphegor released Lucifer from his cage, that’s when my loyalty shifted.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why betray us?”

Why betrayme.

“Simple.” Evangelos shrugged. “Lucifer is more powerful. He was the first angel and is omnipotent, greater even than Michael. At the time, there was no known weapon that could kill him. With him freed, I weighed my options. I concluded that the celestial army is no match for Lucifer. We weren’t during the first war, and we aren’t now.”

“So you were a coward,” Michael said in a clipped tone

“Call me what you will. I don’t care. I made my choice and will accept the consequences.”