Read Online The Rise of the Fallen (The Angelic Wars Book 2) by J.J. Thompson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J.J. Thompson
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have such creatures as our attacker on their side,
Christopher.” He glanced at Chris soberly. “I want you to
know that. If I had thought for one minute that they would be able to
get an agent on the plane, or that we would be attacked in
mid-flight, I would have made other plans.”
Chris realized with a jolt
of surprise that the judge was apologizing to him. He stared silently
at the man for a second and then hurried to reply.
“ Oh, come on, sir.
You don't actually blame yourself for this, do you?” The man's
silence was answer enough. “Judge, there is no way you could
have known. A last minute charter? Who knew Talon could get someone
on to the crew that quickly? And as for Askalon, well, that monster
was something I've never even heard of, not even with all the stuff
my dad told me over the years. And he was a religious scholar,”
he added for emphasis. “Don't be too hard on yourself.”
And then Chris smiled and
shook his head. The judge raised an eyebrow at his expression and he
chuckled.
“ Sorry, but I never
thought that I'd be the one reassuring you, sir.”
They both laughed at that.
“ No, I suppose not.
Thank you. You're right, of course. We are all still human, even
those of you with angelic souls. And we're all okay, thankfully.”
He looked at Natalie again. “We're all okay,” he repeated
under his breath.
“ I did want to ask
about Sariel though,” Judge Hawkes continued. “Could you
repeat what he said to you? Exactly, please.”
Chris did so, as best he
could, and the judge nodded thoughtfully and sat back, staring
blankly at the seat in front of him. Chris waited for him to speak.
As the judge looked at him
again, Ramona stopped beside them in the aisle. She was holding a
tray and offered them both their choice of plastic-wrapped meals.
“ The microwave's
working, so I thought I'd heat something up,” she said in a
soft voice. Her accent was exotic but Chris hadn't been able to place
it. She had dark, small features and a mane of black hair, tied back
in a pony tail.
“ Sometimes food can
help after a crisis like the one we just went through,” she
explained.
“ Oh, thank you,
Ramona. That was very thoughtful.” The judge smiled at her as
she extended the tray.
“ Not at all, your
honor. You can choose either chicken, or chicken.”
Both Chris and the judge
chuckled at her dry tone and accepted the meals and utensils. She
nodded and moved on down the aisle.
“ Yes, back to
Sariel,” the judge said as he unwrapped his dinner. He began to
pick at the food, while Chris dug in, surprised that he even had an
appetite. “Well, it sounds like he's having trouble at home.”
“ Trouble?”
Chris gave that statement some thought. “But how is that
possible? He told us that Purgatory can't be attacked by Hell's
forces until the Earth is taken. And that certainly hasn't happened
yet.”
“ No, it certainly
hasn't. But I don't mean trouble from outside. I mean trouble from
within. Some of his own people might be upset with him.”
Chris stopped eating. “His
own people? But they're angels, sir. They all followed him into exile
voluntarily. Why would they be giving him problems?”
“ Ah, that is the
question.” Judge Hawkes said. He dropped his plastic fork on to
his barely eaten meal and set it aside. “I don't have any
evidence of this, but I can see one possible scenario. Sariel took
Lilith back with him. She was the first female angel that God ever
created, so she has a certain amount of fame among her peers. Yes,
she turned to evil, but perhaps some of Sariel's people see her as a
sort of bad girl, a bit of a rock star.”
Chris had to laugh. “Come
on, sir. They're angels, not a bunch of teenagers. They're pure, not
like Lilith. If they felt anything for her, wouldn't it be hatred? Or
at least disgust?”
The judge didn't answer
Chris' smile with one of his own.
“ Would it? The
angels in Purgatory aren't pure, Christopher. They followed an
archangel, who
Christopher.” He glanced at Chris soberly. “I want you to
know that. If I had thought for one minute that they would be able to
get an agent on the plane, or that we would be attacked in
mid-flight, I would have made other plans.”
Chris realized with a jolt
of surprise that the judge was apologizing to him. He stared silently
at the man for a second and then hurried to reply.
“ Oh, come on, sir.
You don't actually blame yourself for this, do you?” The man's
silence was answer enough. “Judge, there is no way you could
have known. A last minute charter? Who knew Talon could get someone
on to the crew that quickly? And as for Askalon, well, that monster
was something I've never even heard of, not even with all the stuff
my dad told me over the years. And he was a religious scholar,”
he added for emphasis. “Don't be too hard on yourself.”
And then Chris smiled and
shook his head. The judge raised an eyebrow at his expression and he
chuckled.
“ Sorry, but I never
thought that I'd be the one reassuring you, sir.”
They both laughed at that.
“ No, I suppose not.
Thank you. You're right, of course. We are all still human, even
those of you with angelic souls. And we're all okay, thankfully.”
He looked at Natalie again. “We're all okay,” he repeated
under his breath.
“ I did want to ask
about Sariel though,” Judge Hawkes continued. “Could you
repeat what he said to you? Exactly, please.”
Chris did so, as best he
could, and the judge nodded thoughtfully and sat back, staring
blankly at the seat in front of him. Chris waited for him to speak.
As the judge looked at him
again, Ramona stopped beside them in the aisle. She was holding a
tray and offered them both their choice of plastic-wrapped meals.
“ The microwave's
working, so I thought I'd heat something up,” she said in a
soft voice. Her accent was exotic but Chris hadn't been able to place
it. She had dark, small features and a mane of black hair, tied back
in a pony tail.
“ Sometimes food can
help after a crisis like the one we just went through,” she
explained.
“ Oh, thank you,
Ramona. That was very thoughtful.” The judge smiled at her as
she extended the tray.
“ Not at all, your
honor. You can choose either chicken, or chicken.”
Both Chris and the judge
chuckled at her dry tone and accepted the meals and utensils. She
nodded and moved on down the aisle.
“ Yes, back to
Sariel,” the judge said as he unwrapped his dinner. He began to
pick at the food, while Chris dug in, surprised that he even had an
appetite. “Well, it sounds like he's having trouble at home.”
“ Trouble?”
Chris gave that statement some thought. “But how is that
possible? He told us that Purgatory can't be attacked by Hell's
forces until the Earth is taken. And that certainly hasn't happened
yet.”
“ No, it certainly
hasn't. But I don't mean trouble from outside. I mean trouble from
within. Some of his own people might be upset with him.”
Chris stopped eating. “His
own people? But they're angels, sir. They all followed him into exile
voluntarily. Why would they be giving him problems?”
“ Ah, that is the
question.” Judge Hawkes said. He dropped his plastic fork on to
his barely eaten meal and set it aside. “I don't have any
evidence of this, but I can see one possible scenario. Sariel took
Lilith back with him. She was the first female angel that God ever
created, so she has a certain amount of fame among her peers. Yes,
she turned to evil, but perhaps some of Sariel's people see her as a
sort of bad girl, a bit of a rock star.”
Chris had to laugh. “Come
on, sir. They're angels, not a bunch of teenagers. They're pure, not
like Lilith. If they felt anything for her, wouldn't it be hatred? Or
at least disgust?”
The judge didn't answer
Chris' smile with one of his own.
“ Would it? The
angels in Purgatory aren't pure, Christopher. They followed an
archangel, who
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