Convoke

Chapter 40

Tom stared at himself in the mirror. His bruised face looked back, angry, and frustrated that Gerry had targeted him. He dressed and tried not to run his tongue along the cut on his bottom lip, or poke his badly swollen eye, or smile too hard because it hurt his bruised cheek. Hot water from his shower was both soothing and stung. But he felt better for being clean.

Ezra lingered by the window in the living room as his parents sat with Neasa, talking intensely about what was going to happen to Gerry. They paused when Tom sat down, and Neasa's anger turned to guilt as if she had been the one to beat him up. Tom knew she wanted to apologise, again.

He was getting sick of being asked if he was okay. He wasn't, but he had to lie to divert the conversation. He was sick of talking about Gerry, sick of worrying about it, and sick of hurting. He wanted things to go back to the way they were, when the village didn't hate him, and the pub wasn't on the brink of collapse.

The sun shone onto Ezra, and he was suddenly grateful to have gone through a rough couple of months. It was all worth it to have someone so handsome staring at him in such a loving way.

"Ez," Declan said. "What will happen to Gerry now?"

"He will be punished, depending on what Tom wants."

"What I want?"

"Yes." Ezra sat next to him at the table. "You can drop any charges made against him, or you can punish him. Offer what you think would be suitable to Othrowan, and he'll consider if that punishment will help him learn from his mistakes or not. Humans only get this chance twice. Then their souls are ours."

"Will Othrowan come to me?"

"Yes." Ezra's voice was always a little rigid when speaking about him.

"Maybe I'll go to him today."

"I saw him last night," Ezra admitted. "I just thought it was strange that he was in the area."

"What did he say?"

Ezra shrugged. "He was cryptic, as usual."

Tom stared at him, wondering what it was like when Ezra got along with the old angel. He stared for long enough for Ezra to divert his shy gaze. Tom softly nudged him. "Do you want to come with me? I can talk to him on my own if he makes you too uncomfortable?"

"Do you not get along with the angels?" Moira asked, leaning forwards and resting elbows on the table, the way she did when she wanted to listen intensely. 

"Not anymore," Ezra said quietly. When they stared at him with puzzled looks, he decided to tell them about his past. They were a big part of Tom's life. They deserved to know the person their son was dating.

When he was done telling them about who he used to be, the murders, the wrongful accusation, and how Othrowan knew of his innocence and still punished him, Declan, Moira, and Neasa sat perfectly still with mouths ajar.

Tom reached under the table and squeezed his fidgeting hands. "I don't know how you can even be back here," he admitted.

"It's hard," Ezra said, squeezing his hand back. "But I want closure."

Declan suddenly sat forwards. "So let me get this clear, you were born an angel, and have lived as a demon for the past one hundred years because you were punished for a crime you didn't commit. And the angel who punished you knew that you were innocent?"

Ezra nodded.

"That's fucked up. That is severely fucked up." Declan shook his head. "Is there nothing you can do about this? I'd be loud about it and let everyone know the angels are not fair."