Convoke

Chapter 48

Tom stared at Ezra who sat by himself at a table in the library. The crowds had dispersed and returned their attention to the fair the best they could. Othrowan glided round proudly like he had performed a miracle. Haisley sat behind the reception, probably resisting the urge to kick Tom and Ezra onto the street.

The rest of the demons still sat in the other room. Tom didn't want to leave Ezra, but he didn't want to disturb him. He was staring emotionless at the wooden table. Likely very bewildered by the abrupt change of his fate.

"How will you change him?" Tom asked Othrowan, who wouldn't wipe a smirk from his lips.

"I will convoke an angel meeting, and we will do it publicly."

"When?"

"As soon as possible."

They both looked towards Ezra. "Why did you wait so long to do this for him?"

"I had to wait until all those who witnessed his last punishment had died, otherwise they could have testified against the change," Othrowan said calmly.

"So, you summoned him here and planted this fake attack, so you could change him back and clear your conscience?"

"I summoned him here, so I could fix my mistake."

"Or maybe you just waited until you fucked up again, and then decided to make yourself look like the good guy." Tom crossed his arms when Othrowan turned to face him.

"We are done with this conversation, Thomas O'Connell." He walked away, and Tom decided that Ezra was ready to talk about what had happened.

He sat next to him at the table, making sure to pull their chairs close enough for their legs to touch, and for his arm to slot comfortable on the back of Ezra's chair. "Hey," he said with a smile.

Ezra looked at him with a vacant stare. "Is this really happening?"

"It is."

"I'm going to be an angel again." Ezra shook his head. "I've forgotten what it felt like to not . . . to not be this." He touched his neck. "But it's fake. I didn't save those women. They weren't really hurt."

"And you didn't murder those women all those years ago either. You deserve this, Ezra. You deserve the justice."

"And what about all those other demons? I thought we were close to figuring out why the violence was growing. Is this a diversion?"

Tom was silent for a moment. "Can you please put yourself first. Just this once?"

"Do I really deserve this?"

"Of course you do." Tom hugged him and rubbed his back until Ezra stopped tensing against him. "You've been through so many years of pain. Don't second guess yourself. You never deserved it in the first place. Please just let Othrowan do this for you, and then we will figure out the rest."

"I just can't believe it," Ezra mumbled. And that's all he said for the rest of the day. Even when the fair started to close, and people kept approaching him to congratulate him and to thank him for saving people who didn't need saving, Ezra was in disbelief.

"Is he okay?" Declan asked when their evening shift started at the pub. Ezra stood by the door, staring blankly ahead of him.

"He's just struggling to process it," Tom said, but he was worried. For some reason, Ezra didn't think that he deserved to be changed back. Years of feeling like a demon had rattled him with shame and guilt over a crime he didn't commit. His short fuse and blunt personality had sometimes made him mean. Ezra had never been that person, but the punishment warped him that way.