I squint. “And?”
“That’s it.”
I try not to show my disappointment. What am I supposed to do with that? Do they always talk in riddles? If that’s the case, I’m going to have to use my head. Something about the way she talks shakes out a thought. It’s in what she’s not saying.
"You said you can’t remove what I am. You didn’t say I was an angel.”
“You’re not.”
My head hurts. “What am I?”
“You sure you’re ready to hear that?”
No. I don’t ever want to know. I’m fine with what I am now. How much longer can I put it off?
“I don’t know, but this means the grand seraph has to know about all this.” The lying bastard.
“He does now. He was lied to as well. A lot has happened since you left the Garrison. His brothers Gabriel and Michael confessed what they were up to. They wanted you and have been working with the Guild to make it so.”
“And what do you want?” There are many little “God clubs” in our universe, and thus their followers. I’m starting to think their followers are nothing more than recruiters. That would make the hawthors recruiters if I’m right.
“We do not involve ourselves in personal feuds. We protect our universe and watch over the newer planets like Earth. We give gifts when they’re warranted. That’s all we want to do.”
“I believe you came to offer me asylum. What’s it gonna cost me?” I ask. We’ve totally got a vibe going, and we’d make great roomies, but there’s going to be a price.
She smiles. “You’re welcome here, Treyu, and under our care we would do our best to protect you. But it’s only fair that we let you know—before we make our offer—that the Garrison isn’t a bad choice for you. You could do a lot of good as a mercenary of Heaven and they’ve got some valuable resources that we don’t have. It just depends on the price you’re willing to pay.”
Yeah, enslave myself to Heaven forever, right? I guess being a mercenary fits my job description, but angels are dicks of the wrong kind. I don’t want to be surrounded by those kinds of dicks all day long.
“I’ll take the no-angel option, thanks,” I say, and I mean that in all ways. She said that I’m not an angel now, but would I have to become one to join as a mercenary of the Garrison? No way!
Gemini steps forward. “Who’s after Treyu?”
“A better question would be, who isn’t after Treyu?” She gives me a chastising look.
“Are we really surprised that I was a troublemaker as a human?”
“I’m not,” Zhang says.
“Yeah, well no one asked you, babe,” I say, smiling. I even give a little wink to show I’m playing with him. I can’t even be mad at him right now. I’m so damn happy that we’re not fighting. The galaxy has truly turned inside out. Though, that could change at any minute. You never know with me and Zhang.
“Gabriel and Michael wanted you for the Garrison, but several things prevented that. First, you fell. Without your star you were less valuable as a weapon for them. It’s probably more correct to say you were less unique. Second, they needed the Guild to authorize the removal of your sunstar.”
“So, they framed me for murder?”
“They had the Guild frame you for murder. It solved two problems at once.”
“That’s the same thing. If I belonged to them, couldn’t they just, I dunno, claim the Gods said so?”
“Gabriel and Michael didn’t have the Gods’ permission to act as they were, despite their claims. They needed everything to appear as a natural progression of events.”
“How about this? We have them tell the Guild I was framed, I get my sunstar back, I get de-angelified, and we all leave Treyu alone.” I touch the place on my neck where my sunstar used to sit.
“We can ask. Once your name is cleared, we can even ask to have your marriage dissolved since it was ordered under a wrongful premise.”
Whoa. Wait a minute. I step toward Zhang. He’s tense, but he doesn’t say a word. I reach for his ogre-like hand. He laces his fingers with mine and our marriage runes touch. Here’s my chance to be free of our marriage contract.
I never wanted to marry. I was forced into this. But I like Zhang and the sex is epic. Hell, I’d go as far as to say we make a great team.
