19. Gabby

One Spear. Seven Grigori.

As much as Gabby likes a challenge, the math isn't adding up. She needs to stab each Grigori in the heart, at the center of their twisted angelic essence, to kill them.

How is she going to do that when there are seven of them?

She pushes away the uneasy question, focusing on the current one she has yet to answer—where in the heck is the secret entrance to the academy?

Below her, the battle rages. Screams of fury and pain puncture the air. The scent of blood and flames clings to every molecule. Magic crackles over Gabby's skin. She scans as she flies overhead, her stomach twisting as black figures stream from the academy. Swords clang and flesh thuds as they clash with the angels and witches and Order members. Colt's among them, no doubt razing every shred of evil to ashes. It feels wrong not to be beside him.

But innocent lives are inside the academy.

Gabby can't let them down.

Which brings her back to the unanswered question—where the heck is the secret entrance?

It was her father who mentioned it. And if her father knew about it but no one else, then it's an angel secret entrance. Which means it's likely on the roof. Gabby angles down, tucking her wings in close as she spears for the nearest turret. A sharp twist and she twists around it, soaring close to the angled roof. Any gargoyles or cultists who were up here have disappeared, no doubt to bolster the fight on the ground. A quick lap of the expanse reveals nothing but the architecture she expected to see—flat, tiled areas over the residential wings, pointed spires, sharp gables with small, dome-shaped structures straddling the middle of each. Cupolas, as she'd learned they're named.

But now isn't the time to discover she'd actually remembered something from her architecture class on Mercy Academy. She needs a way in.

Except one cupola captures her attention.

It's in the center of the academy, perched on the highest gable. With metal angel wings acting like a weathervane at the top.

It's just the pretentious thing her father would do.

Gabby angles down, spinning as she gains speed. She pulls herself up at the last second, landing lightly beside the cupola. This is the secret entrance, she can feel it. Executing a quick circle, she discovers the rounded dome is almost like a small lighthouse, a beacon for angels wanting to access the academy without being seen.

She notices a small, inconspicuous latch hidden among the metalwork along one glass panel. With a bit of effort, she manages to unlatch it, revealing a narrow staircase leading downward. She doesn't allow herself a glance over her shoulder as the cries and clangs reach her even here as she lowers herself in.

Leaving the battle behind is hard.

Knowing she needs to save those trapped inside the academy is the only reason she does.

Gabby cautiously descends the staircase, which spirals down within the cupola"s structure, concealed from view. As she reaches the bottom, she finds herself in a dimly lit attic space, filled with forgotten furniture, dusty crates, and cobwebs. This entrance isn't used often. And certainly hasn't for a long while.

As Gabby cautiously navigates through the attic, she treads softly, mindful of the creaking floorboards beneath her feet. Dust motes dance in the dim light filtering through the cobweb-covered windows, casting eerie shadows across the forgotten relics stored within.

Moving with stealth, she passes rows of forgotten furniture and dusty crates until she comes across a narrow opening leading to a narrow passage. The air grows cooler as she descends deeper into the corridor, the sound of her own breath echoing in the silence.

The stairs level out and Gabby realizes there's a door to her right. Opening it carefully, she emerges from the shadows onto a landing. Stilling when she hears voices, she peers cautiously over the railing, her heart pounding in her chest. Below, she spots two cult members patrolling the hallway, one carrying a gun, the other a sword.

"I'm buying shares in underground bunkers when this is done," one says, his voice thick with excitement. "If we're about to live forever, we need to think smart."

The other man chuckles darkly. "People are gonna need it when these crazy angels are running the show. We'll be filthy rich."

Horror blooms in Gabby's gut like black tar. The Grigori have promised these people immortality? And they're hoping to profit from the chaos that will descend if they win?

Yet they have no idea that no one will be around to win or lose.

No one will exist.

The first man shudders. "Not that I ever wanna see them again."

The second glances around as he walks away, his gun over his shoulder. "You won't need to. They're off to get this show on the road."

Gabby pulls back a little, surprised. The Grigori aren't inside the academy.

Then where are they?

She takes a few more steps back, wondering what that means. She came here to end this once and for all. But if the Grigori are still playing games…

Determined to answer that question, just like the one about the secret entrance, she slips back into the secret passageway. There, she wraps her magic around her. She felt Colt's cloaking spell as she rose into the sky as she left him, but now she weaves her own through it. Even though she's tucked from view, she needs to be more than invisible. She needs to be silent. Cloaking both any sight and any sound, she descends the staircase.

Hugging the shadows, she moves swiftly, her senses on high alert as the staircase winds down and down. It passes each floor, but Gabby ignores door after door. The air grows heavy with the scent of dust and anticipation as she continues to descend the narrow staircase. Occasionally faint sounds of laughter drifting from the other side of the wall. Although dozens of cult members have rushed out to meet the attack, there are still many still inside.

The Grigori are prepared for war.

Gabby reaches the bottom of the staircase, finding herself in a small, empty space. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she pushes open the door and peers into the darkness beyond. Only feet away is the entry to the courtyard that holds the hound statue sitting above the entrance to the underground club. Although no one will see her approach it if anyone sees the door open or the gargoyle move, her cover is blown.

A group of cult members run past, weapons raised high and she freezes.

"For a new world!" they scream as one.

Gabby draws deeper into the shadows, even though she's invisible. It makes her sick to hear the lies these people have been fed.

Just as much as she hates that these people are willing to kill for the empty promises.

Closing the door even though she should be running across the corridor now that it's empty, Gabby pulls in a shaky breath. She may have found a way into the academy, but how is she going to lead the people hiding in the club out? There's no way the cult won't notice who-knows how many people rising from the ground, then disappearing into the wall.

But what choice does she have? She can't leave them here. If the cult were to find them…

Gabby squares her shoulders, telling herself she's faced worse odds. She can't think of when, but she's also short on time. For now, she just needs to focus on the next steps. All she has to do is run across the hall. Enter the courtyard.

"Apertum," she whispers.

The floor disappears from beneath her feet and she has to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out. Thankfully, the drop is short. Unfortunately, it's straight onto another set of stairs. Gabby tumbles down in an undignified tangle of limbs and wings, springing to her feet the moment she stops.

And faces the tip of a sword.

"Gabby?" gasps a familiar voice.

The sword drops with a clang and a second later, Kalisha wraps her in a tight embrace.

"Thank goodness," Maya cries, joining the hug.

Gabby squeezes her two friends, and then pulls back. "Are you okay?"

They turn to indicate the handful of pale faces behind them. "Scared, but fine."

Gabby scans them, recognizing students from the academy. Some from her lectures, some from the dorms, some from the hallways. When she first arrived, when she first learned who and what she truly is, many of them looked at her with unease. Some may even have been impacted by her blackouts as her angel took control.

But now, they're looking at her with hope.

As if she's a savior.

It's not a role she would've chosen. Nor is it one she thinks she's ready for.

But one fate has decided she needs to accept.

"This way." Gabby steps to the side to reveal the staircase she just tumbled down. "It's a secret passage that the cult members don't know about."

One she didn't know about until a few minutes ago.

Kalisha nods, her face settling into determined lines that somehow manage to mute the silver glitter on her lashes. "We need to move. Now."

Gabby steps further to the side, indicating for the others to enter. "Hurry. Just keep going up."

Kalisha goes first as Maya ensures everyone follows. The sound of soft, rapid footsteps fills the stairwell as she tucks behind the last person, glancing over her shoulder at Gabby.

Her friend's eyes are large in her pale face. Gabby smiles at her. "I'm right here."

Maya swallows, nods, and darts after the others. Gabby's right behind her, senses on high alert. Maya's look conveyed what Gabby already knows.

Staying here is dangerous.

Escaping is fraught with risk.

Gabby's palms warm as she keeps her magic alive and ready. If anyone finds them in this secret passage, they won't be around long enough to do anything about it.

Everyone remains silent as they ascend, their breathing steadily filling the narrow stairwell. They pass the first floor, then the second. Then the third. With each level, Gabby's tension rises.

The academy beyond the wall is silent.

That's more terrifying than the sounds of battle.

"Can you smell that?" Maya whispers as they pass the fourth floor. They're almost at the attic.

Gabby draws in a deep breath, sucking it in sharply as she registers what Maya has. "Smoke." The scent is faint but undeniable.

"How could they…" Maya chokes.

Mercy Academy, with its years of history, its gorgeous architecture, the magic steeped in its very walls, is on fire.

"Hurry," Gabby whispers to the others as they reach the attic. "Through to the far end and then up the stairs of the cupola."

Kalisha strides past the boxes and furniture, stopping to look up. "Huh. I thought they were like lip-gloss, just there to make the place look pretty." Gabby nods to the others, who quickly follow, their faces pinched with fear. She wonders how many are afraid of heights. How many are worried what could be waiting for them on the roof. And how many have smelled the smoke…

"I'll go first," Gabby says, conscious that the threat is now before them, not behind them.

Without hesitation, she ascends the spiral staircase, two lines of heat blazing down her back as her wings prepare to unfurl.

She reaches the final steps and leaps, twists through the cupola opening, and lands on the roof ready for battle.

But the threat she faces isn't one she can fight with her speed and determination to protect.

Because there's no one on the roof.

Because the danger is the very academy they're standing on.

A pall of smoke fills the air, thick and acrid. Gabby"s heart clenches in dread as she realizes the source of the ominous plumes—a fire rages below, devouring the once-grand halls of the academy.

"Please no," gasps Maya, her eyes wide with horror. "Not the academy…"

Gabby"s wings twitch nervously as she surveys the chaos unfolding below. Flames lick hungrily at the windows, casting flickering shadows across the courtyard. But that isn"t the only horror that met Gabby"s eyes.

Everywhere she looks, a battle rages between the cult and the forces of good. Dark figures clash with celestial beings and witches and Order members, their weapons gleaming in the firelight as they fight with bloody determination. The air crackles with energy as spells are cast and blades clash, the clang of metal mingling with the roar of the flames.

And Gabby can't see Colt amongst the mayhem of blood and smoke.

Her breath catches in her throat as she realizes the enormity of the situation. The academy's burning, innocent lives are at stake, and the forces of darkness seem unstoppable. A flicker of doubt threatens to extinguish the flame of hope within her.

There's overwhelming odds.

And then there's overwhelming odds…

"Gabrielle," boom seven voices in unison. "Bring us the Spear. This is your last opportunity before every life is lost."