Part 10
This isn't an emergency, so I should just call one of them.

"Maybe I can figure them out." Nathan stood. "I'll be right back. I'm going down to the lobby so I can call Micah, see if he can give me the names."

"Micah?" The teen looked at him skeptically. "You know, it's still kind of weird that he's, you know, on our side now."

Nathan had just reached to door and looked back at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he was trying to kill Avery last month, and he shot me this month."

"You tried to beat me to death with a garden hoe."

"You pissed me off. And I was possessed by Wrath."

"Anyway," Nathan prompted before that went any further. "Your point?"

"My point is... well, it just feels weird that he's not, you know, hunting the Sins anymore. He made his point pretty clear that he'd rather kill host and Sin together if he couldn't kill the Sin alone, and given how... complicated separating Sin from host can be..." Wren trailed off, not even realizing he'd brought his hand over to the stump. He looked up at Nathan worriedly. "Gula's host was lucky, but what about the other four?"

The writer didn't know what to say; he couldn't speak for the angel, and he didn't really know himself where Micah stood. He wasn't sure he wouldn't try to kill the other hosts, especially now with Alton in danger. After all, it was only his promise to the Devil that kept the angel from killing him. "The game has changed," was all Nathan could tell Wren, and then he left the room to make his phone call.

The lobby was on the first floor, so it took a brief elevator ride before he was able to settle into a quiet corner to make his call. The phone only rang once before Micah's familiar voice answered. "Yes, Nathan?"

He started, surprised he'd answered so quickly. "I'm going to hope that you just read your caller ID and didn't know I was going to call you..."

"I am at my desk at the police station looking through the missing persons database." As he said it, Nathan noticed the clicking sounds of a keyboard. "What do you need?"

"Wow, you got on that fast," the writer muttered, then quickly got to the business of his call before Micah could remark. "I'm at the hospital. I was talking to Wren about his ordeal, to see if he could give me any other details."

He heard the clicking stop. "And? What did he tell you?"

"He said that Ira went on a rant about what she thought of her sister's plan, and what she thought of the others that were involved. Apparently, she has a very low opinion of them, saying one probably wouldn't do anything helpful, another would like her host too much, and that the third was missing. He couldn't remember their names though, but he thinks hearing them would ring a bell."

"Unless you are fluent in Latin, they are somewhat difficult names."

"I'm mostly fluent in Latin, and I couldn't remember them either. I was hoping you could."

Micah hummed and the typing resumed. "It is not my area of expertise, Nathan. I do not know their names as well as Lumiel, for I seldom deal with them directly. At least until recently. If that is what you called me for, I am sorry, but I cannot help you. That is really a question for Lu."

"Damn..." Nathan clenched his jaw. He should have thought of that, but there was one more thing he had to ask. "I'll call him next then, but while I've got you on the phone, could you tell me: were you able to kill Ira? Wren asked, but it occurred to me that I didn't really know for myself if you did."

The typing stopped again and he heard the angel draw a deep breath. "I fought and defeated her insomuch as I could. Unfortunately, by their very nature, the Sins cannot die. There is too strong a belief in them for that to happen. So no, I did not kill her, but she has been sent back to her circle of Hell. Whether or not Lumiel has the strength to keep her there is another matter entirely."

Something in Nathan's gut said that he should be worried, but it was another question to ask Alton when he called him, and at that moment, there was little else he could do. "Alright," he said with a sigh. "I guess that's reassurance enough for now. Thanks, Micah. I'll keep you posted."

"The same."

The call ended, and Nathan began searching his contact list for Alton's number. Just as he found it, the low chatter in the lobby suddenly became louder, and notably more excited. He looked up from his phone to see visitors and hospital staff alike pointing as a woman and her retinue traveled towards the elevators. It was Gloria and a small assortment of her entourage, along with another woman who seemed very comfortable having her arm linked with the model's, leaning in close. She was gaunt and very pale with short, platinum hair: a stark contrast to Famina's dark beauty. Her back was towards was towards Nathan as they passed, but an overwhelming sense of dread filled him along with a horrid sense of familiarity, and he jumped when someone tapped his shoulder.

"Relax, Kink," Scott said, laughing while he plopped into the chair beside him. "Jesus, what the hell are you still doing here? I heard you'd gone home."

"Yeah, I did." Even while he answered, he still couldn't take his eyes off of the woman on Gloria's arm. Turn around, he thought. Turn around.

Scott looked where he was staring and laughed again. "Publicity stunt. She's here to visit that kid you were brought in with, the one who lost an arm. Heard he was a fan and decided to give him a surprise visit. Since you're on leave to recover, they sent me out to..."

"Who's that woman with her?" Nathan asked, finally turning towards him. They were here to visit Wren? Why did he get the feeling this was a very, very bad thing?

Scott raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Beats me. I'm going to guess her latest bed buddy. Not that I care, but The Citizen does, so I need to keep up to take notes." He stood and started off. "Talk to you later, Kink. I've gotta run."

"Yeah, sure." Nathan stared at the coupled again, his brows knotting. Turn around, he thought one more time. This time, the woman did.

Color drained from the writer's face as her gaze met his and he realized, with mounting horror, why he recognized her. A great deal of her appearance had changed -- her skin in particular was a much healthier shade, and she had lost her less-than-human traits -- but the only thing different about her face was a smaller, upturned nose. A long, black feather was tied into her hair, and she must have recognized Nathan too, because as they stepped into the elevator, that unmistakeable, unnaturally wide grin stretched across her lips. She winked, the doors closing and the elevator starting its journey upward.

And then Nathan remembered that he'd left Lidia in Wren's room too.

Oh no... Gula...