Sinful [malexmale]

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

Everyone had piled into the planning room at once.

The room, thankfully, was just barely big enough to fit everyone inside around a large round table that was occupied by maps and logs and laptops. A long table was set up nearby with refreshments and snacks, not that anyone was really bothering with it considering the situation. A large project screen was set up across the room currently showing footage of the mountain pass between Helheim and Hell.

Just looking at it made my stomach churn. I'd gotten an incredibly bad feeling the moment I'd come into the room. It was like a strange premonition. Part of me wondered if it had anything to do with my angelic abilities trying to surface, but I passed it off as paranoia. I'd felt edgy ever since Julius had called.

It didn't help that the room was so full of people. All of my siblings were present. Bali and Wednesday were crowding around the refreshment table, whispering nervously amongst themselves while Jaques was milling around near Thorn and my father, who stood near the projection screen. Dania was with Alexis and Alaric, who'd left me in a huff after going off on a tirade about how he couldn't get a hold of me.

The Sins were also now present after Jaques had managed to contact Anza and bring her in, who'd apparently dropped Maggie off at home seeing as she wasn't present. Not that she would be. This was a war meeting and no place for a civilian.

Marshall was here as well as Coyotl, Alex, and a couple other members of the office wing of the palace, who were setting up a small table nearby with computer monitors and laser pointers to indicate the projection screen.

Even worse, Dev was here and he was clear on the opposite side of the room from me, brooding in a corner as he sipped bitterly from a wine glass. I tried to make eye contact with him, but he obviously knew that because he was purposely looking directly at the screen to avoid me. My heart sank and I felt a bitter wave of disappointment wash over me. I had an urge to go over and speak to him, but Alaric had put me in charge of the doors to make sure no one entered this meeting.

So I stood by the doors, hoping Dev would come over to talk to me, so we could at least discuss our issues before breaking it off so abruptly and coldly. But it didn't look like that was going to happen.

"Excuse me, can I have everyone's attention?" Jaques called over the hushed chatter. Instantly the room fell silent and turned to face Jaques, who stood at the head of the room before the projection screen on a small platform.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming. This is an emergency meeting," Jaques informed with a calm that no one else seemed to feel, "As you may know by now, about two hours ago, Hades's troops launched an attack on the mountain pass between Helheim and Portius, Hell. Fifteen of the thirty men that were on post in the area were killed. The remaining managed to fight the forces back into retreat to the small Helheim village of Malamut. We have reason to believe that these forces launched the attack by command of former General Julius Alexandrite, and not Hades himself."

"Who says?" Alaric demanded, bewildered. Murmurs of agreement rose up. Lucifer held up his hand for everyone to go silent, and they obeyed as he cleared his throat and spoke now.

"Hades," He stated, making everyone mutter in confusion, "I contacted Hades on the matter the moment it occured and he said he never authorized an attack on the Helheim border. He claims it's his former General Julius Alexandrite and he has given us permission to use any force necessary to apprehend him, but he'd appreciate it if we could capture Julius alive and send him over for Hades to dispose of properly."

"That's stupid," Dev protested angrily, pushing off the wall he'd been lounging against, "That bastard's caused us far too much grief for us to just let him off the hook! Besides, how do we know Hades isn't just using this as a trap to lure us in?" Lucifer shook his head.