"Shape-shifting from demon to human for two ages has its draw backs. When I ascended as Guardian Angel, perpetual youth began to diminish," Dantalion explained, trying to ignore the fact that taking poison had nothing to do with his condition.
Dantalion leaned against me beside the altar of the Courtyard scoping out the perimeter. Rowan and the others were scattered about, eyeing my friends by the stone pillars. Sitri, Druitte, Erin and Lucia ran over, prepared to deluge us with questions.
"Laurel!" Erin and Lucia both called out my name, their eyes drawn to the golden-amber glow of mine.
"What happened with the trials?" Druitte and Sitri shouted.
"Are you alright?" Lucia asked.
Dantalion had questions of his own… "What have you seen in the mortal realm?" he barked back.
Rowan and the demons of the Goetia approached us at the altar, also curious about the outcome of the trials.
"Listen… there's not a lot of time left. Belial and Satan have twenty four hours to force the mortal realm to do what they say. If they succeed, everyone we know in our world will die. Everything… including the angels of the third heaven and the demons of the first heaven will be destroyed," I explained.
"I'm afraid the Guardian Angel has made a pact with the devil," Andromalius sneered, flashing his canines.
The other demons of the Goetia stood behind him, red eyes waging war on their own brother demon.
"No… that's a lie Andromalius," Rowan's black eyes slanted, claws drawn. "Truth be told, Dantalion's pact is with Laurel."
"How do you know this?" Dantalion shot Rowan a curious look.
"I told you… I studied the grimoire. I've got power of thought down to a science. And, speaking of science, alchemy is top on my list," Rowan winked at me, his bare skin exposed to the fire and ice now pummeling us in the Courtyard.
"What is this pact?" Andromalius questioned Dantalion. "Are we not brothers? We should know of these things if we are to stand behind one another against the Four Kings of Hell."
Rowan smirked. Sitri and Druitte huddled closer together to Erin and Lucia, shielding them from the ice.
"Yes. You will come to know more, but for now, we have little time," Dantalion promised his armies.
Gwynnedd and Samael loomed near the stone pillars, watching the immense pyre still burning within its center.
"Who here among us has been marked condemned?" the 'Succubus' Gwynnedd whispered into Samael's ear.