Chapter 4

A few days later, Sovereign Aurelius, an old friend of mine despite the centuries between us, came out of three hundred years of seclusion.

He set his wine flask down on my table.

"Boy, guess what I just saw. That fox brother of yours has opened a relic shop on the busiest street in the Ninefold Heavens."

"Word is Serena begged the Heavenly Emperor himself for the spot, said she wanted to give it to her sweetheart as a gift. Didn't she once swear to heaven and earth she loved only you?"

"You realize those divine officers who commissioned relics from him were only doing it out of respect for you. Now everyone's baffled. What in the world is going on?"

I took a sip of wine and answered flatly.

"She's belonged to Wesley for a long time now. Couldn't bear to see her sweetheart suffer, so she divorced me."

"From now on, Wesley is her problem."

Sovereign Aurelius froze for a moment, then swore, which he rarely did.

"Fine. This old man understands. When you need me to step in, just say the word."

Seven days later, I went, as usual, to drill the celestial troops who'd newly ascended.

When I got back to the immortal manor and pushed open the gate, a blade of cold, gleaming light was already pressed to my throat.

Serena stood there, sword in hand, her eyes full of fury.

"Charles Griffin, was it you? You and the other officers, spreading rumors that Wes was carrying on improperly, seducing another man's wife?"

"Now none of them will commission relics from him. They cover their noses in disgust the moment they see him, call him a slutty fox. Do you know he broke down so badly he nearly took his own life? You'd actually stoop to something this filthy?"

I flicked her blade aside and answered with contempt.

"Whether anyone spread rumors, you know perfectly well. I only told the truth."

Serena's grip tightened on the hilt. She drew a deep breath.

"At court tomorrow morning, you'll explain, in front of everyone, that you were jealous of Wes, that you deliberately slandered him. And you'll kneel and apologize to him."

"Never. If you've got the nerve, kill me."

Her chest heaved with rage, but in the end she lowered the sword.

"We've been together many years. I won't kill you. But Charles Griffin, you will regret this."

That same day, Serena impeached me before the Heavenly Emperor.

She said my nature was overbearing and domineering, more than she could stand, that back when I was still in the Wildlands she had already divorced me, and that she and Wesley had since fallen in love.

She claimed she'd never expected me to trade on my greater spiritual power to come storming to their door out of jealousy, nearly costing her fiance his life.

Not only that, she said, I had spread rumors and disgraced her fiance's name. Such wickedness was a grave violation of the laws of heaven.

She asked the Heavenly Emperor to strip me down to mortal flesh, never to ascend again.

And the Griffin Legion, which I had poured my heart's blood into training, was to lose its name and answer to her alone from then on.

In the Heavenly Emperor's eyes, Serena was the God of War of the Ninefold Heavens, and I was nothing but her subordinate, the sort of deputy commander every camp had.

Naturally he favored his trusted minister, and granted her request.

He decreed that in three days I was to go to the Execution Terrace, have my divine bones stripped, and be cast down to live as a mortal.

Shaking with rage, I went to find Serena.

"You two were the ones who betrayed the vows first. I never did any of those things. You're framing a fellow officer! You're the one who broke the laws of heaven!"

Serena looked at me, unbothered.

"But you have no proof, do you? Even gods aren't all-powerful. Not even Sovereign Aurelius, whose standing runs deeper than the Heavenly Emperor's, can turn time back or make it happen again."

She reached up and wiped the blood from my cheek, her voice gentle.

"Three days from now is also the day of my wedding to Wes. As long as you apologize to him before then and restore his name, I'll plead with the Heavenly Emperor for you. Your rank stays as it is."

"Charlie, we both know how much suffering it took to climb from celestial trooper to deputy commander, how many wounds. But it isn't a ten-thousandth of the pain of having your divine bones stripped."

"You worked so hard to get where you are. Don't throw away everything you endured over a fit of pride, hmm?"

It all sounded like she had my interests at heart, and yet it sent cold straight into the marrow of my bones.

Never in my worst dreams could I have imagined that the comrade, the lover, I had once given my whole heart to could be this shameless.

Once I'd calmed down, I reached Sovereign Aurelius through the water mirror.

"Old man, that secret you told me the other day, is it true?"

When he confirmed it, I let a smile pull at the corner of my mouth.

"It's time for you to step in."

Three days later came soon enough.

Serena held her wedding to Wesley at the new immortal manor, with the whole court of civil and martial gods invited, even the Heavenly Emperor there to witness it.

When I appeared, both of them were stunned.

Wesley spoke up, tense.

"Brother... Charles Griffin, are you here to ruin our wedding? I don't want to see you. Get out..."

Serena pushed him behind her and glared at me, sharp-eyed.

"Charles Griffin, at this hour you should be on the Execution Terrace having your divine bones stripped. Why are you here? Are you defying the decree, or do you mean to rebel?!"

Out of the corner of my eye I caught the Heavenly Emperor's face darkening, and Serena's hand quietly sliding toward her sword.

I smiled.

"Listen to the great God of War. I'm the most law-abiding officer in all of heaven."

"I came to tell you this. You want me to apologize in public? Keep dreaming."

I raised my hand and pointed at the doors, spacing out each word.

"Serena, didn't you say I had no proof?"

"Then open your dog eyes and look. The proof is here!"

As the words left my mouth, every face in the hall turned to shock.