Angels Defying (Angels Rising Book 3)

by Harriet Carlton

  Raphael continued. “After Bodø, we hit Keflavik and later, Reykjavik. There, we move quietly across country until we hit the wilderness. We may have to throw Uriel off our scent, so it may be better to take a long route.”

  “My wings,” said Imorean. “If we get separated, how do I keep people from seeing my wings?”

  Gabriel rubbed his chin. “Hmm… yes, very good point. I know it’s going to sound odd, but you’ve got to just imagine that they’re not there and tell yourself that other people can’t see them. The first few times you do it, it takes a good deal of effort, but you’ll get the hang of it. Don’t worry if you slip up a few times and the wings show up a bit. Humans rarely notice things like that anyway.”

  “Imagine that they’re not there?” asked Imorean, raising one eyebrow.

  “Humans are terrible at spotting supernatural things,” shrugged Raphael.

  “Yes,” nodded Gabriel. “Now, this is going to sound odd, but the last thing we need you to do before we leave here tonight is steal the pieces of Michael’s sword.”

  “What?” yelped Imorean. “I’m not going to do that.”

  “You have to,” said Gabriel.

  “Why?”

  “It is a connection to him,” said Raphael. “His sword is a part of him. Hence why it split into three pieces when he slipped into his coma. To have multiple connections with him is vital. I also don’t like the idea of Uriel having it while we’re away.”

  “Indeed,” nodded Gabriel. “Now, as for the matter of briefing your squad–”

  “They aren’t coming,” interrupted Imorean. “I’ve already covered this. I’ve told them as much as they need to know.”

  “Are you sure that that’s wise?” asked Gabriel, rocking back on his heels.

  “Gabriel,” said Imorean, looking away. “My family is already dead. Michael is in a coma. Must I really lose more people I care about? I don’t want to put them in jeopardy by taking them with us.”

  “If you’re sure,” said Raphael after a moment.

  “Positive,” nodded Imorean.

  “Very well,” replied Gabriel. “All right. Meet us at the entrance hall on The Main at seven o’clock tonight with the fragments of Michael’s sword. Our flight is at nine out of Bodø. I already put your passport into your AL Pack, so you’ll have that.”

  Gabriel stood up and Raphael passed Imorean a ticket.

  “That is your plane ticket. Your way out of here. Remember, entrance hall. Seven o’clock. Be there. We will not have long to get that sword. We have a distraction planned, but there’s no telling how much help that will be or how long it will hold Uriel.”

  “I’ll be there,” nodded Imorean, gathering his pack together and holding onto his ticket. Things were finally in motion. Overthrowing Uriel was finally underway. Suddenly, there was a sense of purpose and happiness swelling in his chest. He knew what he had to do.

  Chapter 48

  Imorean shoved his AL Pack under his bed as someone knocked on his door.

  “What’s up?” he asked, leaping onto the springy mattress and positioning himself to appear as though he had been there the entire time.

  “Are you coming to dinner?” asked Roxy, sticking her head inside his room.

  “Is Colton cooking?”

  “Not tonight. We were going to head over to The Main for dinner tonight. Mandy’s missing some of her friends from last semester and I kinda want to see Ryan.”

  “Ah, I would if we were eating here, Roxy,” said Imorean. “But not tonight. I’ve got some stuff to do.”

  “Is that why you’re lying on your bed?” asked Roxy, frowning.

  “Procrastination is a wonderful thing,” replied Imorean, looking at the ceiling and resisting the urge to look at his watch.

  “Have you cleaned your room?” asked Roxy. “It’s really tidy, not like the depression nest you’ve been living in for the last week.”

  “Yeah,” nodded Imorean, sitting up slightly and giving her a lopsided grin. He hadn’t done that for what felt like months.

  “Well,” said Roxy, relaxing in the doorway and grinning at him. “Have fun with whatever you’re trying to avoid. The rest of us are off to get something to eat.”

  “See ya,” said Imorean, allowing his smile to drop as soon as Roxy closed the door. When would he see her again? He felt terribly guilty about lying to her. He knew she would worry for him.

  Imorean quietly ran through a mental checklist as he waited for the front door to their house to close. He had to take to every item he thought he could possibly need. He had no idea how long he would have to be away from Upper Morvine. It was a scary prospect.

  There was a faint click and Imorean knew that the door was closed. He breathed a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. It was time. Imorean rocked to his feet and checked his watch. It was six o’clock in the evening. He had plenty of time to collect Michael’s sword and meet Raphael and Gabriel. The two Archangels had moved out earlier that evening with Uriel for a staff meeting at The Main. The distraction was already underway. As Imorean wrapped his AL Pack around his waist he swallowed hard. Anxiety was swelling in his chest already.

  Imorean quickly scanned around his room, looking for anything he may have forgotten. He smiled slightly as he opened his desk drawer and laid the letter he had written for his squad out on his bed. One of them would be bound to see it. Their instructions. Imorean checked his watch and took a deep breath. Too long had passed. He had procrastinated for long enough. He had to get going.

  The water on the fjord was dark as Imorean sluiced over it. The waxing moon exposed him like a ray of light cutting across a black ribbon. He knew the route from the campus map. Only a few more intersections of waterway to cross over. Wings fully flared, he flew close to the water, a tiny wake of ripples left behind him as he soared. Brown eyes were riveted to his goal. In the distance, the yellow lights of The Main were visible. Already, he was scanning for the entrance hall. He had half an hour. The flight had taken longer than he thought. He had the strength to push himself just a little faster. Under the moonlight, a ghostly shadow landed on the perimeter of Upper Morvine’s main campus.

  Imorean was struck by how elegant Upper Morvine was. It was truly made for upper classmen. The campus design was more open, shaped like a horseshoe rather than a compound. Imorean stopped in the shadows to catch his breath. Norway was much warmer than Baffin Island and he was grateful for the warmer temperatures. His eyes swept the grounds. He had to avoid the other few students who were still out. The last thing he needed right now was for one of the students or his friends to see him.

  The white-haired teenager breathed a small sigh of relief as the entrance hall drew into sight. He was lucky he had landed near it. Some of the window lights were on, but for the most part, the large building was dark. Good. Imorean walked up to the door and rested his hand on the handle. He pushed, but the door refused to budge. What? No, he needed to get in here and he needed to do it quickly. The more time he wasted here, the more likely he was to be seen.

  Imorean shook his head and rammed his shoulder against the door a second time. The firm glass door still wouldn’t open. Imorean narrowed his eyes. Some Archangel he was. He was one of the most powerful creatures in the universe, the brother of Michael, but he wasn’t even strong enough to open a door. He paused. Would he be able to leave Upper Morvine without Michael’s sword? No, Raphael had already said that they needed it.

  “Come on,” hissed Imorean. He had a horrible feeling that some of the students were starting to take notice of him. Imorean glared angrily at the lock.

  “Unlock,” growled Imorean, pointing one finger at it and not expecting his words to have any effect. His eyes widened as a small spark of white light leaped from his fingertips and landed on the door handle. There was a small crack and Imorean heard the deadbolt slide back. Imorean shook himself. He could ask Gabriel about that later. For now, he had to get Michael’s sword.

  Imorean carefully pushed th
e door shut and looked around the large entrance hall. He hadn’t been in this building yet. He didn’t really have time to take in the interior though. He had to find Michael’s sword. Imorean gasped as he laid eyes on it. There it was, hanging in a glass case above the door. The large, metal fragments were displayed beautifully and had been arrayed in a way that made it seem as though the sword had never been broken. The hairline cracks between the pieces of metal were almost invisible. Imorean swallowed as he studied the sword. He had never thought, not in a thousand years, that he would see Michael’s sword like this. A tug on his heartstrings made him want to go to Michael now. To sit at his bedside and talk to him. But even as he thought it, Imorean knew he couldn’t do it. He just wasn’t ready to see Michael yet.

  Quietly, Imorean opened his wings and ascended up to the glass case. He opened it and began pulling the pieces of metal out. They were lucky really, that the pieces were not very small. Each piece was a sharp, distinct shape. Once Imorean had gathered all three of the pieces and placed them in a large, velvet lined bag, he dropped back to the floor. Success. He breathed a sigh of relief. Two swords now. His own and Michael’s.

  It was quiet in the building. Too quiet, he realized a moment later. Imorean’s sharp ears detected a very high pitched, whining noise. A silent alarm. Imorean bolted, heading for the front door. The teenager slammed his entire body into the crash bar, but the door didn’t budge. It was locked. Imorean looked around wildly. He could hear voices outside the building now.

  The windows. Imorean quickly drew his knife from a side pocket and slammed the handle into the glass, shattering it in the frame. The teenager then kicked out the shattered glass and launched himself through the window, landing heavily in the bushes just outside.

  “Imorean,” hissed a voice. Gabriel was standing some distance away from the building, hidden in the shadows.

  Imorean scrambled to his feet, ducking under a beam of yellow light. There were angels in the building now and Imorean was fairly sure he could hear Uriel’s voice. The staff meeting must have ended early.

  “Imorean, listen to me,” hissed Gabriel. “We have a problem. We didn’t know about the silent alarm. Uriel was on his way as soon as you broke the lock. I just managed to beat him down. Raphael and I can’t go with you.”

  “What?! Why?”

  “Uriel’s called an emergency meeting. Raphael and I have to be there. If we’re not, we’ll lose all the head start we would have had.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Gabriel grabbed Imorean by the wrist and tugged him out of sight as the main lights in the entrance hall cracked on. “Remember, you have three objectives. Find Michael’s rift. Evade Uriel. If you can, find Vortigern.”

  Horror gripped Imorean. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “You have to do this alone. We’ll be with you if we can, but there’s no certainty now. You can do this.”

  “No, I can’t!”

  “Shh. Yes, you can. Here. I have one last thing for you. Take this backpack and put your AL Pack inside it. It’ll keep your items from being detected in an x-ray.”

  “How am I supposed to get to the airport?” asked Imorean, swallowing hard.

  “I’ve got a way. It’s all up to you now, Imorean.”

  “Oh, great. No pressure then?”

  “None at all,” said Gabriel, smiling softly and raising two fingers. “Goodbye, Imorean. Good luck and Godspeed.”

  “No. No, Gabriel! I’m not ready! I can’t do this! I can’t. Not on my own!”

  But Imorean’s voice was drowned out. His world churned as the two fingers were placed against his forehead and he felt himself falling through space and time.

  Chapter 49

  Imorean stumbled as he landed on the pavement outside Bodø Airport. He was alone. Entirely alone. On a mission meant for three. His chest rose and fell in near panic. What was he supposed to do? What was the next step? He raked his hands through his hair. He was glad of the darkness, because he hadn’t managed to put up any sort of shield around himself yet and his AL Pack was still buckled around his waist. Quickly, hands shaking, Imorean took off his belt and put it in the backpack Gabriel had given him. Now, the wings. How was he supposed to hide his wings? Just pretend they weren’t there was what Gabriel had said. How on earth was he supposed to do that? Imorean shook his head and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He needed Gabriel and Raphael’s help! It would be just like them to let him go with little to no guidance. Imorean checked his ticket. His flight was leaving the airport in an hour and a half. He had less than an hour to get everything under control.

  The white-haired teenager saw a puddle not far from where he was standing, dimly illuminated by the yellow light of a street lamp. He made his way over to it and stared at his reflection. His white wings were arced high up over his shoulders. Unmissable. Imorean groaned and for a moment he covered his eyes with one hand. He took a deep breath. He was on his own. He had to figure this out for himself.

  Imorean opened his eyes and focused hard, trying to imagine himself without his wings. It shouldn’t have been hard. He had lived without his wings for eighteen years, but somehow, the image of his own reflection was ingrained in his mind and he couldn’t think of what he would look like without his wings again.

  Then, there in the dim puddle, was a sudden flash of emerald. Imorean shook his head and started. He was very familiar with that color. That was the color of Michael’s wings. Imorean looked over his shoulder. There was no one nearby, so how…? Imorean shook his head. He would have to try and figure this all out later. Overthinking things would do him no good now. He closed his eyes and tried again to imagine himself with no wings.

  ‘Memories,’ whispered a distant voice. Imorean’s eyes flashed open again. He must be going mad. Now he was hearing voices. Imorean swallowed and started to try again. He closed his eyes and thought back to the first time he had ever seen his wings. Both Michael and Gabriel had been with him that time. Suddenly, Imorean remembered the feeling of a veil being lifted from over his eyes and he focused hard on that feeling. He imagined draping a large cloak over his wings and shielding them from others’ prying eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he could no longer see their reflection in the water. Imorean grinned in triumph. He had learned how to hide his own wings and unlike most of the things he had had to learn as an angel, this was simple.

  Quickly, Imorean checked his watch. He needed to be making his way through the terminal now. He had a plane to catch. Imorean hefted his bag onto his back and shuffled his unseen wings beneath it.

  It was unusual for the students to be summoned to an assembly this late at night, in fact, it had never been done before. Not at Gracepointe, not at Felsenmeer, and, from the looks of the other students, not at Upper Morvine. Roxy darted a glance at Colton, wondering if the younger boy had any ideas as to why they had been brought out this late at night. The smaller boy shrugged and looked up at the stage in the auditorium where Uriel was standing.

  “I am sorry to have gathered all of you here this late,” said Uriel.

  Roxy shuddered. All of a sudden, Uriel sounded unfamiliar. It was a voice Roxy had only heard once on a telephone. The memory sent a horrible shiver down her spine. Then Uriel stepped forward. There was a savage coldness in his eyes that chilled Roxy right down to the core. A flicker of movement at the back of the auditorium made Roxy turn. Raphael was standing near one of the exits, his blue eyes riveted to his brother. Gabriel stood on the other side of the auditorium. Both were concealed by the students and shadows. Roxy gulped. What was going on?

  “Believe me when I say that this is not something we normally do,” said Uriel. “But this is a matter of urgency. Earlier this evening, a precious artifact was stolen from the entrance hall. The sword of my comatose brother, Michael, has been taken. Now, we are going to do a roll call to ensure that all the students are here and that no one has been harmed. I believe that this was a direct attack on us by Vortigern.”<
br />
  There was worried shuffling and loud, scared murmurs among the students. Roxy looked around, scanning the crowd for Imorean’s white hair or his white wings. Perhaps he hadn’t even heard the auditorium summons. He had seemed very focused on something earlier. He was still back at The Terrace. He had to be. But the summons had been sent out through email too… so where was he?

  “Has anyone seen Imorean?” asked Roxy, turning to Toddy.

  “Not since this evening, no,” said Toddy. “Why?”

  “He isn’t here,” said Roxy.

  “Well, where could he be?” asked Mandy. “Come to think of it, the last time I saw him was at The Terrace.”

  “Same here,” said Roxy.

  Roxy looked away from her friends and turned back to the stage as Uriel spoke again.

  “In total, we are missing only one student. Imorean Frayneson. If anyone has any idea where Mr. Frayneson may be, please, come and tell me. Better yet, if anyone sees him, tell him that he is to report to my office. You are dismissed, but use caution for the remainder of the evening.”

  At that moment, glass shattered. The fire alarm screamed to life. Chaos erupted. Students pushed and shoved to get out. The auditorium was a death trap. The air and the ground were both a stampede. All sense of organization was lost.

  “He’s gone?” shouted Colton, somehow heard over the din. Roxy grabbed him. She didn’t want to lose him in the crowd.

  “He didn’t come to dinner with us,” said Toddy. “That must have been when he vanished.”

  “Where could he have gone, though?” asked Dustin, pushing forward through the crowds.

  “He’s got to be back at The Terrace!” shouted Roxy.

  “The last one he spoke to was Gabriel,” said Toddy. “Do you think something’s up?”

  “Shouldn’t we go and speak to Uriel?” asked Colton. “I mean, we know roughly where Imorean probably is. Wouldn’t that help Uriel track him down?”