24. Hayliel

24

I t’s late, but I can’t sleep.

My mind whirls with impossible scenarios and outcomes. So many things have happened lately that I can’t seem to shut my thoughts off. It doesn’t help that sometimes, when I close my eyes, I see that scarred demon again, his taunting voice ringing in my head.

With a huff, I toss the blankets off and get out of bed. There’s no point lying around when I could be doing something useful. I dress quickly, stashing the books I’ll need and my slate in a bag, then head downstairs to the Fallen library to work on a project for history class. We’re supposed to write a report on an angel of our choosing.

Castiel would probably hate to know that I’m working on it in the middle of the night, especially now that he knows everything else going on, but it’s that or drive myself wild trying to sleep.

I don’t run into a single soul on my trek down the stairs, and the library is blissfully empty. Being alone used to make me uncomfortable. Insignificant and invisible. But other than the friends I trust, I’d rather be alone than surrounded by angels plotting against me, or onlookers waiting to switch loyalties depending on how the wind blows.

Setting my things down on one of the empty tables, I get comfortable. When Castiel first gave us this project, I struggled to decide which angel to write about. Then it hit me, and I couldn’t imagine a better angel. I ended up calling Esther from the photo parlor to ask if she’d mind if I wrote about her grandmother.

She’d been thrilled that I thought of her. So thrilled that the very next day she delivered an old family tome that held a ton of neat information. Each story kept me captivated, enough that I’d honestly probably read through them even without a project.

Despite the late hour, it doesn’t take long before her grandmother’s epic stories have me hooked. I’m so invested that it takes a moment longer than usual to notice the creepy feeling causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise. A faint scuffling comes from beyond the library doors, but I don’t see any light to announce the presence of someone else. Maybe it’s only another student grabbing a midnight snack?

I listen for a few more minutes, but the sound doesn’t come again. This building might be modern and well built, but it’s still fairly old. It could be anything.

I fall back into the story, this one about Esther’s grandmother and her innate control over her angelic powers. She’d been known amongst her family to assist all new members in developing their powers. Honestly, her thought process is quite fascinating, enough that I pause my reading to take notes on my slate. Maybe her methods could help me get a better handle on not only the sunfire I’m supposed to be able to wield at will, but also the weather manipulation we’re learning.

I don’t get far before that scuffling sound is back, but this time it’s followed by a steady tapping.

The longer I listen, the louder it gets, until my pulse thrums beneath my skin and I can’t shake the feeling that I need to leave.

Now.

I don’t waste any time packing up my things, tossing everything into my small bag and scurrying toward the window. Someone whispers from beyond the library doors as I’m climbing out into the cool night air.

Before I manage to fully close the window, the library door opens.

Two students enter the room, followed by a masked figure built like a brick shit house. The students I recognize from our brief altercation near the beach. Fallen.

With the mask on, I can’t work out who the other figure is, but something tells me I’ve never met them before. Their presence alone makes my heart beat frantically. From the build, I’d guess it’s a man, but whether it’s an angel or something else entirely, I don’t know. They’re tall and imposing, covered head to toe in black clothes.

The trio look around the room, searching, but for what?

Something tells me they’re looking for me.

Pressing my back into the wall beside the window, I keep still. I know I should run, should move, and get the fuck away from here, but if I stay, maybe I can learn what these fuckers want.

In a voice so deep, it’s as if it came from the very night itself, it says, “I thought you said she was here?” Without needing to see with my own eyes, I know this comes from the masked being. Something about the energy has me on high alert.

“She was, I swear it! I—” The squeak of noise from inside has me desperate to look, but I stay put, holding tight to the protection amulet hanging on a chain around my neck.

“Well, where is she now?”

I don’t hear a reply, only sharp breaths until a third voice says, “We don’t know, but she can’t have gone far.”

“Then find her!” it growls fiercely, and I jump into action.

I don’t know who or what this cloaked figure is, but I know in the very marrow of my bones that I won’t enjoy finding out.

I consider flying up to my balcony, but that’s too risky. Without my flight jacket, my wings will act like a beacon, and besides, it’s the first place they’ll look for me.

But where else can I go?

I take off in a run, unsure of my final destination. All I know is I can’t stay here.

Keeping off the path, I stick to the forest. It’s slower and louder, but my brain isn’t working enough to care. I can’t get caught. Not when something tells me they weren’t coming to find me for just any old reason. Their intent, even if the Fallen students don’t realize it, was malicious.

Breaking free of the forest, I push onward. Light from the arena illuminates far too much, so I run parallel to it until I can curve around the back. A twig snaps from somewhere behind me, almost causing me to trip as my heart goes haywire. Fear takes over, forcing my limbs to move faster, push harder. Enough that I almost slip on a few fallen leaves and branches, cutting my pants on the thorny bushes, but at least I stay upright.

It’s only when I see the fence that lines the backside of Power house that I realize where my feet have taken me. Raphael .

Air escapes me in big bursts, but not from being out of breath. I’m scared. Terrified.

What if Raph doesn’t answer?

Once again, I consider letting my wings out just long enough to fly up to his balcony, but it’s too risky. If the angels from the Fallen library see them, they’ll know where I’m going and it’ll put Raphael at risk. I can’t do that. I won’t.

I’d rather be caught and taken than cause him any harm.

Resolved, I sneak around the far side of Power house and silently enter through the front door. I don’t run into anyone on my trek to Raph’s room, and by the time I knock on his door, my heartbeat has returned to an almost normal frequency.

It takes three knocks before he answers, looking like he’d just rolled out of bed. “Sunshine?” he asks, sleepily.

I feel awful for waking him, but it doesn’t stop me from falling into his arms. He catches me, picking me up into his arms and cradling me like a baby.

“What happened?”

A sob escapes me, yet no tears fall. It’s like my mouth forgets how to form words because I can’t get any to pass my lips.

He carries me into his room, shutting the door behind him and leading us to the bed where he settles us both. We just sit there, his arms wrapped around me, soothing away the fear holding me tightly in its grasp.

“You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He doesn’t pressure me to answer his questions or even speak, content enough to just sit with me until finally I pull away.

“I’m sorry,” I start, feeling awkward.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Ever.”

I chew on my lip, unsure of where to begin.

“What happened, sunshine? Did someone harm you?”

I shake my head. “Not physically.” Then I tell him everything. How I couldn’t sleep, leaving out the part about my nightmares for now, and how I went to the library to work on a project instead. In a voice that doesn’t even sound like my own, I explain what happened in the library, what I overheard, and how I ran straight to him without even realizing.

He pulls me in closer until I can feel his heart banging against his ribcage. It soothes me.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispers against my skin. Then his voice turns darker. “The pieces of shit coming after you need to fucking pay.”

I nod against him, letting my fear turn into rage. I’m so fucking tired. Tired of being scared. Tired of being targeted. I don’t want to run and hide anymore.

“Did they mention Uriel at all? If the Fallen were there, he must be involved.”

Shaking my head, I say, “Not by name, but I came to the same assumption as you.”

“What about the masked man? Did you recognize him, even a little?”

A chill works its way down my spine just thinking about him. For a second, I can almost hear his deep, smoky voice.

“No. I don’t think so.” My teeth chatter. When did it get so cold in here?

“You’re freezing,” he says, pressing his warmth against me. “Come with me.”

I follow him to the closet where he tells me to strip down. He rummages through his belongings, and by the time I’m undressed, he’s holding out a spare shirt for me to wear. I put it on, loving that it smells of him.

Raphael kisses the top of my head, and I feel a little warmth returning to my limbs. He pulls me back to bed, motioning for me to get beneath the sheets before grabbing a book from his nightstand and joining me. On top of his bedside table sits a new frame with a picture of the three of us at Esther’s shop. My heart squeezes at the fact that he keeps us so close to him while he sleeps. I burrow beneath the blankets, a giddiness bubbling beneath my skin and wiping away a little of my fear. His sheets are silken smooth. Far nicer than any I’ve ever owned.

We rest against pillows, and I snuggle into Raphael’s side. “What do you have there?” I ask, curious about the weathered book in his hands and wanting a diversion from the swirling emotions in my gut.

“This is my uncle Isaac’s journal. The guy was a bit eccentric, so keep that in mind, but I wanted to show you something I found earlier.” He carefully opens the book. Although the page is torn and half of it is missing, one word is unmistakable.

Seraphim .

My gaze shoots to his, and he smiles boyishly.

“Like I said, he was bizarre, so I’m taking everything with a grain of salt. If this is true, though, then he would have spoken with the twins Castiel mentioned.”

I try not to snatch the book when he passes it to me, being extra careful with the sensitive paper.

I finally did it.After months of trying, I met with the Seraphim twins. Ingrid and O…From the articles, I would have sworn they looked alike, but… spot the differences. It’s easy to feel just how powerful th…stomach. Having been raised in squalor, I expected the…edges. But they were kinder than most of my own fami…I didn’t mean to learn their secret. It was purely by acci…I would take it with me to the grave.The information detailed below could change…

I reread the passage three times before finally looking away from it and back up at Raphael. “You don’t happen to have the rest of this, do you?” I ask him, though I already know the answer.

He kisses my head, his expression grim. “I’m afraid not. But I refuse to believe that my crazed relative was the only one who discovered their secret. The information has to be out there somewhere. It would be too cruel for it to have ended with this journal and their deaths.”

He’s right. I don’t want to believe that the secret Isaac discovered is lost to us now. With everything going on, I can’t believe it.

Shifting on the bed beside me, he tilts my face up with one finger beneath my chin. “I’m not giving up, sunshine. Not by a long shot. I’ll rummage through every book, every cupboard, and every drawer if I have to. You deserve to know as much as possible about your heritage.”

Words won’t seem to pass my lips, no matter how hard I try. Tears fill my eyes, blurring my sight.

This man.

From the very first day, he’s been there. Supporting me. Sticking up for me. Making me feel worthy. I wonder if he understands how much of a difference his actions have made.

When the tears finally fall, he wipes them away. “I think it goes without saying that you’re spending the night with me.”