were together in these same chambers. “The Prime Evil may have simply found another way and perhaps then would have succeeded in destroying the Arch.”
Imperius chuckled, but the sound held no warmth. “Hope has blinded you to the truth, my sister. Hell’s servants have been broken, their leaders cast into the abyss. Now is the perfect time for us to act! We have the chance to land the decisive blow. Sanctuary has always been our greatest weakness. Destroy it, and we will swing the battle in our favor and end the Eternal Conflict—forever.”
The Council chamber was silent. “There is some hope yet for humankind,” Auriel said finally. “Remember that they are born of both angels and demons. There is as much capacity in them for light as for dark.”
But the archangel of Hope’s words lacked conviction, and her argument fell flat. Tyrael cleared his throat. The fact that Imperius had avoided his gaze for most of this meeting of the Council had not escaped him. “Do not forget the role the nephalem played in defeating the Prime Evil,” he called out. “The Black Soulstone was forged in Sanctuary and was used against us, that is true. But the nephalem faced great evil and cast it down, when we, Heaven’s guardians, were unable to act.”
“And you declared a new golden age of angel and man, together for eternity,” Imperius said, his words full of barely suppressed disgust.“Perhaps you should have consulted the Council before making such a promise.”
The archangel’s icy words were full of challenge, and the threat of violence once again hung over the chamber. Tyrael would not rise to it, not this time. “The nephalem have abilities we are only beginning to understand,” he said. “If we destroy them now, we may lose our greatest weapon against such evil.”
Imperius’s voice grew louder. “In defiance of the law of the Heavens, you have interfered with the world of men again and again! And you have chosen to cast down your wings. This is just the latest example of your recklessness!” Imperius turned to the other members of the Council. “It is time to address an issue that concerns us all. Without Tyrael’s meddling in the affairs of the mortal child Leah and her mother, the Prime Evil may not have found a home in the stone.”
“That is not for us to know,” Auriel said. “And Wisdom is not on trial here.”
“Then perhaps Wisdom should offer his counsel.” Itherael, archangel of Fate, had been largely silent for most of the session. In fact, he seldom spoke at all, and his words now surprised Tyrael. “Let us take up another, still unresolved issue, in spite of our series of debates: what to do with the Black Soulstone.”
“Wisdom is no longer with us,” Imperius said. “Malthael is gone, never to return.”
“Be careful of your tone, my brother,” Auriel said. “Do not insult Tyrael’s decision to rejoin the Council; it does not become you.”
“Then tell us what insights you have gained from Chalad’ar, Wisdom,” Imperius said, his voice mocking once again. “Tell us what to do with the stone. The Council has been divided on this for too long. Or are the rumors among the angels correct, and you have yet to consult the chalice?”
Itherael and Auriel turned to Tyrael, waiting for him to offer a solution. He looked at the soulstone on its perch, imagined he saw a beat of blood-red light at its core . The darkness pervades this holy place, he thought . It creeps in unbidden and corrupts everything it touches.
Tyrael had come to his own decision. But he was unsure about how his advice would be taken by the others and hesitated for a moment too long .
Imperius turned away. “Malthael would never have been without an answer, yet this one is silent once again. I shall speak for him, then. We break the stone at the Hellforge.”
A murmur from Auriel brought a fast response. “We should not risk destroying it,” Itherael said. “It was forged by human magic; its
Imperius chuckled, but the sound held no warmth. “Hope has blinded you to the truth, my sister. Hell’s servants have been broken, their leaders cast into the abyss. Now is the perfect time for us to act! We have the chance to land the decisive blow. Sanctuary has always been our greatest weakness. Destroy it, and we will swing the battle in our favor and end the Eternal Conflict—forever.”
The Council chamber was silent. “There is some hope yet for humankind,” Auriel said finally. “Remember that they are born of both angels and demons. There is as much capacity in them for light as for dark.”
But the archangel of Hope’s words lacked conviction, and her argument fell flat. Tyrael cleared his throat. The fact that Imperius had avoided his gaze for most of this meeting of the Council had not escaped him. “Do not forget the role the nephalem played in defeating the Prime Evil,” he called out. “The Black Soulstone was forged in Sanctuary and was used against us, that is true. But the nephalem faced great evil and cast it down, when we, Heaven’s guardians, were unable to act.”
“And you declared a new golden age of angel and man, together for eternity,” Imperius said, his words full of barely suppressed disgust.“Perhaps you should have consulted the Council before making such a promise.”
The archangel’s icy words were full of challenge, and the threat of violence once again hung over the chamber. Tyrael would not rise to it, not this time. “The nephalem have abilities we are only beginning to understand,” he said. “If we destroy them now, we may lose our greatest weapon against such evil.”
Imperius’s voice grew louder. “In defiance of the law of the Heavens, you have interfered with the world of men again and again! And you have chosen to cast down your wings. This is just the latest example of your recklessness!” Imperius turned to the other members of the Council. “It is time to address an issue that concerns us all. Without Tyrael’s meddling in the affairs of the mortal child Leah and her mother, the Prime Evil may not have found a home in the stone.”
“That is not for us to know,” Auriel said. “And Wisdom is not on trial here.”
“Then perhaps Wisdom should offer his counsel.” Itherael, archangel of Fate, had been largely silent for most of the session. In fact, he seldom spoke at all, and his words now surprised Tyrael. “Let us take up another, still unresolved issue, in spite of our series of debates: what to do with the Black Soulstone.”
“Wisdom is no longer with us,” Imperius said. “Malthael is gone, never to return.”
“Be careful of your tone, my brother,” Auriel said. “Do not insult Tyrael’s decision to rejoin the Council; it does not become you.”
“Then tell us what insights you have gained from Chalad’ar, Wisdom,” Imperius said, his voice mocking once again. “Tell us what to do with the stone. The Council has been divided on this for too long. Or are the rumors among the angels correct, and you have yet to consult the chalice?”
Itherael and Auriel turned to Tyrael, waiting for him to offer a solution. He looked at the soulstone on its perch, imagined he saw a beat of blood-red light at its core . The darkness pervades this holy place, he thought . It creeps in unbidden and corrupts everything it touches.
Tyrael had come to his own decision. But he was unsure about how his advice would be taken by the others and hesitated for a moment too long .
Imperius turned away. “Malthael would never have been without an answer, yet this one is silent once again. I shall speak for him, then. We break the stone at the Hellforge.”
A murmur from Auriel brought a fast response. “We should not risk destroying it,” Itherael said. “It was forged by human magic; its
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