12. Theo

12

O ver the last few days, we’ve gotten into a steady routine of classes, working on wards and runes for the cave, and training. At least, most of us have. Ezekiel has made himself scarce lately, except to work with Dina directly. It’s clear he’s avoiding us, though this time I understand why.

The worst thing happened. He caught us. Walked right into what should have been a safe space for him and found the three of us fucking like wild rabbits. Oddly enough, he hasn’t said shit about it to anyone. He didn’t throw us out immediately and ban us from returning. He just left.

Shit. I need to talk to him soon.

We haven’t let his absence stop our progress. Without him there to impart his guild-trained combat on us, I’ve taken the opportunity to get started on dagger training with Hayliel. She’s been pretty sad with Zeke’s cold shoulder behavior returning, but learning how to wield knives has definitely helped keep her mind off it. It helps that she’s taken to it like a pro, too.

Gagiel and the others have joined in a few times, which proved to be an excellent distraction for Hayliel to keep her mind off things. It’s nice to see them growing stronger, more confident. Knowing they’re learning to protect themselves makes her happy. It gives her a sense of purpose, something she desperately needs right now.

Today, finally, is the day we’ve been working our asses off for. Our little slice of cave paradise is fully warded and ready for us to use.

“Ugh, I’m definitely not interested in feeling that every time we come here,” Dina says with a shudder.

I nod, letting the need to flee diminish as I stand inside the cave.

Thanks to Zeke’s knowledge and my research, Dina was able to ward the area near the entrance to create a strong urgency to flee for anyone passing by. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s the best we could find to keep others away.

At first glance, the space looks just like any dingy old cave, and that’s exactly what we want angels to see. Zeke had found a special rune that would mask the contents of the cave in the unlikely event someone other than us stumbled inside. It wasn’t foolproof, not if someone was eager to discover our secrets, but once again, it’s the best we could do in a pinch.

Unfortunately, we haven’t figured out how to personalize the runes so that they don’t apply to us. I know there’s a way. I just can’t find a book that details the how . It’s like the Archangels removed all traces of pertinent information when they had Silver City’s books redone. Still, the discomfort and initial confusion were worth the private place for us to meet.

Now that we know it’s safe, we can start making the inside a little more cozy and a lot less evil lair.

“Zeke lugged me here last night to add a few last-minute runes. Protection, healing, and one that somehow manages to keep that damp cave smell at bay.”

As Dina speaks, I walk around the cave, touching the spot on the wall where they painted the original mask rune until it falls away, along with the moldy scent of the cave. Near the ceiling, six areas begin to glow brightly, lighting up the area.

“Did you do that, too?” I ask, but she shakes her head.

“No, but maybe Zeke did? I left after we couldn’t get the silencing rune to work, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet. It’ll definitely come in handy, though.”

“You’re not wrong about that.”

Hayliel and Raph show up next, each carrying a large box.

“Fucking hell, that’s strong,” Raphael says, shuddering through the ward repulsion as he drops the box to the floor. He moves to help Hayliel with hers, but I beat him to it.

“It’s going to take some getting used to, that’s for sure,” Hayliel agrees. She pulls me in for a kiss that turns scalding hot, fast, but we don’t let ourselves get carried away. Not yet, at least.

“What’s in these?” I ask them, eying the boxes.

“ Someone went on a shopping spree, and even though I helped him lug everything over here—inconspicuously, I might add—he still refuses to tell me what’s inside.” She glares at him but can’t hold it for long before she’s smiling.

Raph wraps his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck. “Be patient, little sun. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Good thinking with the lights, Zeke,” Dina says to the scowling house leader. It’s too hard to tell if the expression is because of the discomfort caused by the words, or if it’s just his natural prickly demeanor.

His eyes land on me, then move to where Raph and Hayliel are cozied up beside me. Something that looks a lot like pain flits across his face, but he hides it quickly.

“Zeke! I’m glad you’re here,” Hayliel says, pulling out of Raphael’s embrace and walking toward him. “How did it go at the guild?”

That pained expression is back on his face, and I can tell he’s avoiding making eye contact with her. Shit. He keeps looking away, glancing at the door and then back to his bag on the floor. I can’t make heads or tails of what’s going on with him, but he seems pained and skittish. The first one I can understand, but the second gives me pause.

“Fine. I was able to grab enough for all of us.” He pulls six amulets out and passes them around.

“Who’s that one for?” Hayliel asks when he’s given each of us our new protection amulet.

Zeke runs a hand through his hair, glancing at the door again before he says, “Castiel, if he proves himself worthy.”

I share a glance with Raphael, caught off guard by Zeke’s thoughtfulness. Castiel is a Pure, and we can both attest to how fucking hard it’s been to get him to trust us. Our relationship with Hayliel has definitely made that harder, but his aversion and distrust of all Pures in general hasn’t helped. It’s nice to see him coming around.

“That’s really nice of you, Zeke.” Hayliel places her hand on his forearm and he just stares at it, that pained expression back on his face. Poor guy is clearly struggling.

He steps back, cutting off the physical contact which I know pains my girl. His next words cause the hair to rise on the back of my neck.

“I have to tell you guys something, and before you freak out, I need you to know that I did everything I could to avoid it.”

What the hell did he do now? Raphael says through our mental connection, and I can’t help but wonder the same thing.

We all just kind of stare at him, waiting for him to continue, but it’s like he’s waiting for something. A burst of rage? Disappointment? Permission to continue? It’s hard to tell.

Finally, no longer able to take the suspense, Dina breaks the silence. “Whatever it is, dude, we trust you. Just spit it out.”

“I got caught sneaking around at the guild.”

“How does that work? You still have the amulets,” Raphael says, looking confused.

I’m just as lost, but my mind goes down a different path. “Caught by who?”

“Just a girl. Daughter of a lieutenant. I’m fairly certain she isn’t a member of the guild, though she hangs out there enough, so it’s hard to tell.”

Raphael shrugs. “Okay, well, she let you leave with everything, so what’s the problem?”

Zeke rubs a hand down his face and sighs. “It’s not the first time she caught me snooping around. She also saw me coming out of the file room, or at least coming from that hallway. I played it cool then, but she saw through my shit. The good news is, I don’t think she ever told anyone.”

“And the bad news?” I ask, unsure if I want to know the answer.

“Well, this time she caught me in the act as I was trying to access the locked cabinet with the amulets inside. She demanded to know what I was looking for, not so subtly threatening me if I refused to tell her. I didn’t see that I had a choice, so I just told her I needed a couple of amulets. She used her father’s key card to access them.”

Raphael folds his arms across his chest. “I mean, it’s not great, but that doesn’t sound as bad as it could’ve been, so why are you acting so weird?”

“Because she took an extra amulet for herself and forced me to invite her here.”

Dead silence fills the space. We just spent the last week making this place secure and safe from outsiders, and already he jeopardized that.

“I’m sorry. What?” Raphael says, his eyes a stormy-blue.

Zeke groans. “I know, I know. It’s fucking stupid, but I didn’t have a choice, alright?”

Raph steps toward him. “This is way more than just stupid , Zeke. This could put everything at risk!”

“Don’t you think I fucking realize that? I didn’t go out of my way to get caught, Raphael. It just happened.”

Before things have the chance to get physical, Hayliel steps between Raph and Zeke. “Everyone needs to calm down. Yes, this isn’t ideal, but we can’t change it now. All we can do is plan. So, what do we do now?”

Zeke nods. “She sent me a rune, one she assured me would help prove her loyalty.”

“And you trust her?” Raphael asks with a laugh of incredulity.

Ignoring him, I ask a question of my own. “What kind of rune?”

“She hasn’t fucked me over yet, has she? Besides, we have the amulet and the pouch of whatever the fuck it is we’re hoping will help us against the demons.” He grabs his slate, swiping through until he finds whatever he was looking for. “This is what the rune looks like. I couldn’t find much about it online, but from what she said, it’s a judgment rune and we’ll need to add a drop of our blood to the paint.”

“Because that’s not fucking suspicious,” Raphael mutters, and while I agree with him, it’s definitely not the time.

“If you’re that worried, then keep your blood in your veins and shut the fuck up.”

The air around us chills, dropping several degrees as tensions mount. I understand where Raph’s coming from, but everything I’ve heard so far makes me believe we can trust her. Why else go to all this trouble?

“Can I see that?” I ask Zeke, wanting a closer look at the rune on his slate. He hands it to me without question and I survey the thick lines. It’s not one I recall seeing before, but that doesn’t mean much. We’ve been trying to find out more about Hayliel’s wings for months and we haven’t gotten anywhere. Information tends to disappear in Silver City.

“You can have my blood,” I say, handing him his slate back.

“Mine too,” Dina agrees.

Raphael looks at me like I’ve just kicked his knees out. I’m sorry. I think this is worth trying.

Hayliel watches Zeke, who still can’t look her in the eye before she shrugs. “If it works, maybe it’ll help us trust Castiel’s motives too, right? I’m in.”

“Great,” Zeke says dryly, like he hates that it’s come to this. “It’s settled, then. If we work fast, maybe we can have it ready before she arrives.”

Dina grabs the small can of paint we’ve been using to mark the other runes around the cave and pours some into a small cup. We all prick our fingers, letting a few drops of our blood mix with the paint, and then Zeke draws the image on the stone near the entrance.

When he finishes, Raphael assesses the symbol. “What exactly does the judgment rune do again? How will we know it worked?”

Zeke shrugs, which only pisses Raph off more. “No idea. Mira just says we’ll know.”

Raphael scoffs. “Right. Let’s all just put our faith in this mysterious Mira angel and ignore the threats and secrets she’s holding over your head.”

“That’s enough, Raph. Let’s just focus on the things we can control right now,” Hayliel says, surprising all of us. My friend looks hurt, but a small touch of Hayliel’s hand has him shaking it off. Zeke, though, looks floored by her sticking up for him.

Fuck. I really need to talk to him about what he saw the other night. I would have done so sooner, but he’s been avoiding us like the plague. As much as I think it’s silly, I can understand it. This entire time he’s felt like Hayliel chose us over him, so walking in on our little love fest, especially in his personal training room, probably didn’t help matters.

I won’t let him leave this damn cave without having a conversation.

Zeke’s slate dings, and I watch the emotions flit over his face. Resignation, worry, and finally, fear.

“Mira’s on campus. She’ll be here any minute.”