34. Hayliel

34

R aphael brought me back to his room after his brother left. With the bomb he’d just dropped, neither of us wanted to just sit around and do nothing.

A war.

Have things gotten that bad already? In truth, the war against demons is long past due, but the Fallen? Even after all the things I’ve witnessed from Roderick, I wouldn’t wage war on them. Growing up with Fallen parents, I knew they were unhappy with the way of the world, but I never could have imagined this happening.

Raphael calls the rune weaver, who surprisingly answers on the second ring, despite it being a Friday evening. While they hash over the details of our rune-stitched clothing, I test out the long distance connection with my parents to see how they’re doing.

The possibility of an attack on the Fallen, especially those who are innocent like my parents, makes me physically ill. But the Archangels are smart. They’re our rulers for a reason. I doubt they’ll go into any situation without all the details and a foolproof plan to protect those who’ve done nothing.

They didn’t win a war against God, or survive as rulers for this long, without the brains to show for it.

I don’t expect to reach my parents. Not on a random Friday night without prior warning, but they must have been practicing hard because Mom answers almost immediately.

All good! Baking as always. You okay?

I smile as her choppy words fill my head. All good here. Proud of your progress, Mom. Love you.

Love you, Haylie-bear.

I’m relieved just knowing they’re alright. War will take time, and we’ll use every second to figure out a way to keep my parents as far from it as possible.

A thought strikes me so suddenly, I’m a fool that I didn’t think of it sooner. I should give my protection amulet to them. It’s only one, but it’s better than nothing, and as a Seraphim, I’m far more protected than they are already. I could never choose which of them would get it, and I already know how it would play out. Dad would refuse to wear it and insist that Mom use it. Even if they made a schedule, he’d find some way to get it around her neck. Maybe Zeke or Mira could steal me another one?

Fuck. I need to get better at thinking ahead.

I check my slate and see a few missed messages in the group chat.

Theo : How was family dinner? Was Raduriel helpful? Hoping we can talk soon. Zeke : My shift is done, so I’m available anytime, too. Hayliel : Eventful, to say the least. We’ll call in a few minutes to explain. Wish you were both here. Theo : Me too, firefly. Me too.

The little typing bubbles pop up several times from Zeke before eventually fading. I’m desperate to know what he was going to say, but I don’t let myself dwell on it. If he wants to be part of this, he’ll need to let down his guard and say so. I’m done trying to read his mixed signals.

When Raphael ends the call a few minutes later, he turns to me with a small grin that tells me everything I need to know. The rune weaver has agreed to help us. At least we have some good news.

“Theo and Zeke are ready to chat whenever we are,” I tell him, trying to keep the panicked thoughts from returning.

He must pick up on it because he takes my hand in his. “We’ll call now, but first, were you able to reach your parents?”

“I was. They’re fine. Bless the fucking Archangels for that.”

He pulls me into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Good. That’s good.”

We settle onto his bed and spare no more time before connecting with the group. While we snuggle up among a mass of pillows and blankets, we prop the slate up on a lap desk that Raphael pulled from his closet, and I immediately want one for myself.

For a second, I worry maybe we shouldn’t sit so close together but then chastise myself for even thinking it. If last night taught me anything, it’s that I need to give angels the chance to react or not. I can’t keep trying to predict the future, worrying about what-ifs. We have far worse things to worry about.

Theo and Zeke immediately pick up on our moods, asking us to explain what went down.

Raph shakes his head. “You go first. What did you learn from Uriel’s classroom?”

Zeke rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed with Raph for putting off the sharing of what we learned, but in this instance, he’s right. Once we tell them about war, everything else is going to feel a hell of a lot smaller in comparison.

Theo shrugs. “Nothing substantial. His planner had a few appointments, but it’s not like he wrote out the names or any incriminating details. Other than that, we found a decoding tool that went along with a map of the city. There were several marked areas on it, but we weren’t able to decode the notes before we had to leave. Castiel took photos, though, so he’s not giving up.”

“Marked areas? Those don’t sound good,” Raphael says, and I frown.

Zeke sits forward, getting closer to the screen. “Do you remember where they were?”

“Let me guess,” I say before Theo can respond, “One was in the Fallen district?”

“No, actually. That’s what was so weird about it. The marked places almost seemed random. If there’s a rhyme or reason to them, we don’t know what it is yet.” He frowns. “Why did you think it would be there? What happened?”

“The good news is, Raduriel agreed to help us, and I’ve already spoken to the rune weaver. She needs our measurements and a list of runes we want sewn into the fabric. Given the next bit we have to tell you, we should give her this information as fast as possible so she can get started right away.”

A message from Zeke flashes across the top of the screen. His measurements and rune selection sit there for a few seconds before disappearing.

“Do you just have your body measurements saved to your notes or something?” Theo asks, voice teasing.

“Ha. Ha,” Zeke replies, his tone annoyed, but I see the slight tilt to his lips. “Those are from getting fitted for the guild uniform. Now, what is it you aren’t telling us?”

We explain what Raduriel told us, sparing no details, and the further we get into it, the more jittery I become.

Zeke huffs out a derisive breath. “That’s extreme, isn’t it? A war against demons I can understand, but Fallen? Don’t they remember what happened the last time we had a war among our kind? It didn’t end well.”

“Not to mention, because of the ridiculous rules of the guild, the entirety of our angelic fighters are Fallen. How the hell do they plan to handle that?” Theo adds, and holy shit, he’s right. If the Archangels declare war on Fallen, will they force the guild to attack their own?

All of this is too much.

The need to see my parents face to face and make sure they’re alright is an itch I need to scratch. I won’t be able to sleep tonight without knowing they’re safe. “I’m going to the Fallen district. Tonight. If the Archangels truly are planning to declare war, my parents won’t stand a chance. Maybe we can ward their house like we did the cave? Or at the very least, I can try to convince them to take a vacation somewhere far away. I hear Earth is beautiful.”

My breaths come fast, my mouth dry as I try to take in more air than my stiff lungs will allow.

“Breathe, sunshine,” Raphael murmurs, soothing me.

I take a few deep steadying breaths, filling my lungs with the citrusy scent of Raphael, but the terror in my belly never fades.

“If you go, we all go,” Zeke says. “We’re in this together.”

We don’t waste a second in heading to see my parents, only stopping to meet up with Theo and Zeke on the outskirts before flying in together.

Something heavy weighs me down, settling like river stones in my gut.

This damn fear will be the death of me. I have to shove it aside and remind myself that we have time. Time to finish training my parents. Time to make a plan for their safety, and time to figure out what the fuck is going on so we can handle it.

When we land, it takes a moment to recognize the sounds around me, and then another second more to realize it’s coming from within the walls of their house.

Someone is inside, tearing the place apart.

I rush forward, but before I make it past the threshold, I’m knocked clean off my feet.

Zeke is closest to me, and he kneels down to check that I’m alright while Raphael and Theo focus on taking down the asshole who threw me to the ground.

“You should help them,” I tell Zeke, standing up and wincing as my tailbone twinges.

“It’s only an angel. They can handle it. Besides, I know you’re about to rush inside.”

“I have to make sure my parents are alright,” I tell him, preparing to fight him on it, but he surprises me.

“I know. That’s why I’m going with you.”

My heart crashes against my ribcage, beating wildly as we head through the open doorway and into the ruin that is now my parents’ home. The air is tinged with the scent of fear and something metallic. It burns my nose, threatening to make me throw up.

This is all my fault.

The words repeat in my head, but I try to push them back. Now isn’t the time for a meltdown. I have to focus on finding them.

At the end of the hall, a hulking figure turns to us.

Demon.

As if matters could get any fucking worse.

Zeke moves into step beside me, not giving the beast a moment to anticipate our movements. He attacks with brutal precision, and for a moment I’m lost in awe of him.

Claws wrap around my shoulder, tossing me against the kitchen wall. The protection amulet around my neck warms, but my side still aches from where I hit the side of the counter.

I’ve never let pain keep me down before though, and I sure as fuck won’t start now.

The demon snarls at me, revealing its sharp teeth and swiping its claws through the air between us, but I duck and manage a blow to its right knee that has it stumbling.

I take advantage of the moment of weakness, trying desperately to summon the sunfire I’m supposed to be able to harness.

Nothing comes. Not a single drop.

We parry a few more times before the demon’s next hit sends me sprawling past the kitchen table. I flip over backwards; the amulet taking the brunt of the pain I know my body should feel right now.

My hair has come loose from the braid I’d tied it in before we left Raphael’s house. It blocks my view, but when I move the strands off my face, I finally notice where that awful smell is coming from.

Blood.

Pools of it lie on the floor. Streaks line the walls.

No!

Rage and sorrow build inside me like an inferno. It might not be their blood. But if it is … I turn back to the demon stalking toward me, oblivious to everything else around us.

What was it Castiel said? I’m the only one in the way of my power, and I need to accept that I alone am enough.

Closing my eyes, I let those words flow through my limbs, echoing inside my very soul.

I am a true and solid vessel. My parents knew it. My friends know it. And it’s about damn time I know it, too.

When I open my eyes, I sense a chasm of heat growing in my chest. It’s familiar, reminding me of the hot flashes I’ve experienced ever since the shift, but now I know where it’s coming from.

My essence of sunfire.

The demon must sense something in the air because it stalls in its advance.

Is that fear I see lining the ragged edges of its face? Good.

I push every ounce of belief in myself, along with the rage and fear, toward that pool of heat inside me, stoking the fire and forcing it through my limbs. The demon snarls, swiping a powerful claw-tipped hand exactly where I stand. Except, I’m no longer there. As if I can dance on the winds of time, I’m now staring at the leathery wings tucked against its back.

I reach out. Time seems to slow down as the demon turns its head to face me, his features etched in surprise. When the tip of my finger touches the demon in front of me, time stops, just for a moment, and then the demon disintegrates into nothing more than dust.

Air leaves my lungs in big breaths as I finally glance away from the pile of ash in front of me, only to catch sight of all three of my men watching on in fascination.

“You all saw that, right?” Raphael asks, watching me like I just pulled the moon from the sky.

Theo’s laugh is incredulous. “You can teleport. Holy fucking shit. You can teleport! ”

His words unlock a memory inside me of that night we nearly died in our quest to confront Roderick. I teleported then too, though I didn’t realize it. But how?

At Zeke’s feet, I notice a familiar patch of dust. “What happened there?” I ask, confused. Did I somehow manage to kill that one, too?

He smiles triumphantly. “I tested out that blade you infused. It wasn’t as instantaneous as your touch appears to be, but it did the job all the same.”

“That was … you’re incredible,” Raph says, unable to look away from me.

“It was,” Theo adds. “I’m glad we knocked that asshole out in time to watch.”

The happiness from basking in their wonder diminishes when I breathe in the scent of iron again and remember what it is we’re doing here.

My parents. The blood.

“Has anyone seen them yet? I don’t want to believe—” A sob escapes me before I can continue further.

“I’ll check your room,” Zeke says, asking the guys to stay with me, but I’m too busy staring at the bloody handprints by the back door to hear how they respond. As much as it kills me to see it, it brings a bit of hope to my chest. At least one of them was alive enough to grab the wall, and right now, with grief and rage sitting heavy on my shoulders, it’s enough.

Zeke comes back, but he doesn’t say anything. All he does is give me a small shake of his head. But I already knew they wouldn’t be down there.

My heart thumps erratically in my chest, yet the new reservoir of heat reminds me that I will find them, and I’ll make whoever thought to take them from me pay for what they’ve done.

The blood is fresh. It has to be given I spoke with my mom through our mental connection not too long ago. Maybe she can tell me where they are now.

“I’m going to—” I begin, but I’m interrupted by a dark, commanding voice that stirs fear in my belly.

“Hayliel Gracelin,” the deep voice booms from outside.

I force saliva down my dry throat, swallowing past the lump of terror.

I’d know that voice anywhere. That dark tenor seemingly fathomless.

The cloaked figure is here.