by L.L Hunter
Battle
Everyone ran to nearest window, but Scarlett couldn’t see anyone behind the laneway of trees in Hyde Park.
“Are you sure they’re outside, Emer?” Dyston asked.
“Yeah, Jacob and Kat were going for a romantic fly over the harbour when they saw them.”
“I can’t see anything,” said Scarlett.
“They’re hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush,” said Father Luke.
“Maybe I could go and reason with Lakyn,” Scarlett said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her like she was crazy.
“No!” cried Emer.
“There is no reasoning with Lakyn, his heart is like ice,” said Dyston. “Plus, you are not going anywhere until you’re healed.”
“I am healed. I’m fine, Dyston,” she told him. “I feel great.”
‘Scar, your limbs were broken. You had your blood drained.”
How did he know that?
“I know, but honestly, I feel brand new, and my limbs are fine, see?” She swung her arms and legs out one at a time to demonstrate. Everyone gasped.
“Impossible,” said Father Luke, making the sign of the cross.
“But…” began Emer.
“I don’t understand,” said Dyston. Only Joshua remained silent.
“When I was falling from the Realm of Light, my body began to repair itself, until I hit the ground. Then my limbs broke. But they were already healing.”
“Maybe that’s the blood of the Archangel,” said Joshua, who hadn’t spoken in a while.
“It is known that Archangels are a great deal stronger than Seraphim,” said Father Luke, “but not a lot is known about what their blood can do. We haven’t come across an Archangel in a while.”
“In a while?” asked Scarlett.
“Yes. It was documented.”
Scarlett was intrigued. This could be the first big break in discovering her origins.
“And where are these records?” she asked.
“In The Michaelite Headquarters of course, but they are sacred.”
“Could you take me to them?”
Father Luke was about to answer, but Dyston interrupted.
“Not now, we have to keep this Academy protected, we can’t leave.”
There came a knock and the door opened, Jacob stood in the doorway.
“Dyston, I need you now.”
“Coming.” Dyston turned to Scarlett. “Stay with Emer. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Where are you going?”
“Jacob and I have been researching Heavenly weapons. As it turns out, all of the books were written by your ancestors.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, and all of the weapons were designed by mine. Now I know why I seem to have an affinity for Heavenly metals,” Dyston added.
“And that you’re good with your hands,” added Emer, this got a chuckle out of Dyston, but Joshua didn’t seem to approve.
“Sorry,” she told her boyfriend apologetically.
“Anyway, I’ll try and return as soon as soon as possible. Why don’t you guys go keep the other students calm and busy.” Dyston took Scarlet’s face in his hands and kissed her. “Stay safe,” he said, and then he pulled away and headed towards the door.
“Dys?”
“Yeah?” He stopped and turned to look at her.
“I love you.” That was the first time she had said the words awake.
“I love you, too,” he told her, holding her gaze one last time before he left. Scarlett turned back towards the window. She realised she was still wearing Dyston’s shirt. She never wanted to take it off.
Joshua cleared his throat.
“Well, I better go find Thomas. I think he wanted a game of Texas Hold ‘em while we wait for instructions.”
“Okay, baby, you know where I’ll be,” said Emer. Joshua kissed her quickly and headed out the door, leaving the two girls alone.
“Now, I think we had better get you changed,” Emer told her, looking Scarlett up and down with her hand on her hip.
“No, I’m fine how I am.”
“Hun, you’re only wearing a shirt.”
“I know, but I like this shirt.”
“That’s because it’s Dyston’s shirt, and it’s filthy.”
“Fine, but I’m still keeping it.”
“Fine.” Emer produced some shopping bags and placed them on the bed.
“What is this?”
“Del and Kat went shopping for us. The rest of the Blackbell girls went too, since we lost all our clothes in the fire.”
“Where’d you get the money?”
“Insurance,” she shrugged.
“But—”
“Relax, Beth said we could. Now gimme that shirt, or do I need to pry it from your dead fingers?”
“Fine, I’m undressing.”
After showering and washing away the black ash that seemed to cling to every crevice of her body with the vanilla body scrub that Dyston had obviously left for her, Scarlett dressed in the clothes that Emer had laid out. Red skinny jeans, a black and white striped top, and paten black Doc Martens. And new underwear, of course, which Scarlett was going to strangle Emer for, because they were black and lacy and very small. She joined Emer in the hall, and the girls went to see what they boys were doing.
They found Joshua and Thomas in the dining room. It was much smaller than the one at Blackbell had been. There were eight rows of rectangular wooden tables, each seating six students. Josh and Thomas were at one near the window, which spread across the back wall and looked out over a small stony courtyard. They were playing cards quite competitively. They had been told to keep the other students calm. She didn’t know how they were going to do that. Surely they all knew what was happening outside. As Emer and Scarlett made their way towards the boys, Gabriel’s students stared at them warily. Some even had their mouths open in awe.
“What are they staring at?” whispered Scarlett.
“You,” replied Emer. When Scarlett didn’t say anything, she added, “They know you’re the Legend and that you’ve come to save them.”
“But I don’t know how to do that.”
“That’s what Dyston and Jacob are trying to find out.” They sat at the next table down from Thomas and Joshua, and Scarlett looked back at the students of Gabriel. Each of them wore a different piece of pine green clothing—their school colour. She tried to give them an encouraging smile, but failed. Would that mean she would also fail in her task of being their role model and their saviour? Whatever she did, Scarlett had to stay brave, even if it were a facade.
Their peaceful solace was soon broken when shouting could be heard from outside. The doors burst open and Delilah ran in, tears streaming down her face.
“Come quick,” she sobbed.
“Del? What’s wrong?” asked Thomas, standing up.
“It’s Kat. She surrendered.”
Everyone followed Delilah to the foyer, but they all stopped before the doors that led outside. Scarlett peered out, and sure enough, there stood Kat, surrounded by Lucifite Warriors and their deadly angelic weapons, which Scarlett had a hand in creating. Kat stepped forward.
“Kat, don’t do this,” pleaded Jacob, who stood a few paces behind her.
“I surrender,” she said in a clear strong voice.
“We don’t want you, Katherine, we want your red-headed friend,” said Abraham.
“That’s why I’m here, to negotiate a trade. Me, for the freedom of my friends.”
“No!” cried Scarlett. She ran forward and stood beside her friend. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do, Scarlett.”
“You can have me! Take me!” Scarlett offered, stepping in front of Kat towards the Lucifite Army. If she could cry, she would have, but Scarlett no longer had any tears, they had stolen them. And now they were about to steal something else dear to her.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. We don’t negotiate.”
&nbs
p; It all happened in the space of a second. Dyston grabbed onto Scarlett and pushed her out of the way, and Kat stepped forward into the line of fire. Someone released the first Tear Tip. Scarlett looked for the shooter and saw nothing but ice blue eyes. But Lakyn hadn’t pulled the bowstring. As the crowd receded, she heard him utter three words.
“Good job, Simon,” he said, patting the new man on the shoulder. Simon. Scarlett recognised that name from Lakyn’s email. Simon Frost was a Nephilim who had been missing for several weeks, according to news bulletins. He had just shot the arrowhead coated in Scarlett’s tears straight into Kat’s heart.
The battle had begun.
Chapter Seventeen