“Colton,” said Roxy, pushing through the crowd toward a fire exit. “Something tells me that isn’t a good idea. Having Michael’s sword and Imorean disappear both at the same time is, well, it’s too suspicious. Not that I think Imorean took Michael’s sword. He wouldn’t do something like that. We shouldn’t tell Uriel though.”
“Okay,” said Colton.
“We need to find Gabriel,” said Roxy, pushing Colton through the exit ahead of her. “He should tell us where Imorean went.”
“Where would we find him though?” asked Mandy, having managed to battle her way outside through the other students.
“We can check his office tomorrow,” said Colton. “The staff normally keep to themselves during the day.”
“Do you think we can wait until tomorrow?” asked Roxy. “There’s no telling what idea Imorean’s taken into his head. God knows, he might be spending the night in the woods or something.”
“We have to, Roxy,” said Toddy, shaking his head.
“Hey!” called Baxter, jogging up behind them. “Has anyone seen Imorean? Raphael said he was missing.”
“No,” replied Roxy, shaking her head. “He’s gone.”
“We’ve no idea where he’s gone,” said Colton.
Baxter slowed. “This is a problem, isn’t it?”
“Very much,” said Dustin with a frown.
“Come on,” said Colton. “Let’s go back to The Terrace and see if we can come up with anything. Imorean may just be asleep.”
Roxy stopped dead, looking across the fjord. Imorean’s bedroom. It had been too neat. Out of character. Something was wrong. She spread her wings wide and leaped into the air.
“Roxy, what is it?” asked Colton, at her side in an instant as she flitted over the water.
“I just remembered something!”
“Roxy, wait!” called Colton.
Roxy flew onward as though she had never even heard Colton. She had thought earlier that there was something not quite right about Imorean. His room had been too clean. He had been too relaxed. Even his desk had been cleared. Without turning, she felt that the others were hot on her heels. Baxter, Mandy, Colton, Dustin, Toddy. They were all with her. Roxy wanted to pull up. She was already out of breath, but some inner sense of foreboding sent her on. It was imperative that they get back.
Several minutes later Roxy skidded to a halt on the boardwalk and burst into the house, breathless and panting. She didn’t stop as she ran into Imorean’s bedroom and looked around. It was dark in the room. Roxy turned on the ceiling light. Imorean’s bedside lamps were out and unplugged. His desk was clear of every single scrap of paper. His map had been cleared of thumbtacks, the red thread connecting all of them was in the trash can. Roxy shook her head. This wasn’t right. Imorean was naturally disorganized and he had worked hard on the map, roughly tracking some angel movements on his own.
The teenage girl barely took notice as Colton, Mandy, Dustin, Toddy and Baxter arrived behind her and lingered in the doorway. Imorean’s alarm clock had even been turned off. Roxy shook her head and darted over to his closet. She gasped. Most of Imorean’s clothes were gone. His uniforms were gone. His boots were gone. Even some of his civilian clothes were gone. Empty hangers lay skewed on the closet railing. Roxy felt as though her breath had been stolen. Imorean was gone. Gone.
“No…”
“Roxy,” said Colton, tapping her on the shoulder. Roxy turned. The small boy was holding a note.
“It has Imorean’s handwriting on the front,” said Toddy.
“Come on,” said Baxter. “Let’s go into the living room. I’ll read it if you want.”
Roxy nodded, taking a shaky breath. Imorean had gone. Vanished. He was gone and she had no idea where. He was beyond her, or any of their, help.
“Okay,” said Baxter when the six of them were seated in the living room. Roxy was gripping Toddy’s hand. Dustin and Mandy were sitting anxiously nearby. Colton was chewing his nails. “Imorean has pretty untidy handwriting, so I might get a few things wrong, but I’ll do my best. ‘Roxy, I have a feeling that you will be the one to find this. You are the only one who comes bursting into my room with no announcement. I don’t know how long it’ll take you all to realize that I’ve gone, but I assume it won’t be very long at all. If you can, please avoid telling Uriel that I’ve gone. Before he slipped under, Michael told me not to trust Uriel. There’s something odd going on with him. I saw his teeth earlier today… and they seem sharper than they should be, if you know what I mean. I’m worried that something may have happened to him after he was captured. If he knew what I was planning, he would not allow me to do what I’m getting ready to do. If you’ve come back to find my room tidy and my closet empty, then I suppose you’ll be worried sick. Roxy, squad, I am leaving. I have to carry out a mission and I can’t afford to wait any longer. I’m sorry I never told you, but I can’t take you all with me. I just can’t. I’ve already lost my family and Michael, my mentor, to Vortigern. I can’t lose all of you all too. If he kills me, then at least he will have only killed one more angel and not all of you. Please don’t come looking for me. I’ll be just fine. Honest. Raphael and Gabriel are coming with me anyway. I know I can trust all of you to take care of yourselves. Ryan, Colton, the two of you are to organize between you who will take command of the squad. Be safe. I hope I’ll be able to see you again. Imorean. F..’”
There was simple silence as Baxter finished reading. For a moment, none of them moved. It was Roxy that broke the calm quiet. She got up and moved to one of the windows, looking out into the night.
“He’s gone,” she said quietly. She ran a hand under her eyes, wiping away tears that she hoped her friends hadn’t seen.
“Any clues where?” asked Colton.
“No,” sighed Baxter, lying the letter on the coffee table.
Roxy turned and looked over her shoulder as Toddy picked up the piece of paper to look it over for himself.
“Hold on,” said Toddy. “There’s something written on the back. He wrote it in pencil… and it looks like he erased it. Hard. I can’t read it. Imorean really has horrible handwriting.”
“Let me see,” said Roxy, taking the letter from Toddy. She smiled slightly as she spoke. “I’ve known Imorean longer than any of you. I know how to read his chicken scratch. I swear, the boy was born to be a doctor. It says, ‘Reykjavik, Iceland.’ Do you think that that was supposed to be written here or do you think it was something else? Colton?”
“I have no idea,” said Colton with a sigh. “He could have been still tracking Vortigern’s movements, but he could have been leaving us a clue.”
“I don’t think he’d leave us a clue,” said Roxy, sitting back down next to Toddy. “Not with the way he left. Imorean has always been very careful to cover his tracks.”
“What should we do?” asked Mandy.
“I don’t know about the rest of you,” said Roxy. “But I’m not going to let Imorean go and get himself killed. I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to keep us safe by taking this situation into his own hands. I can’t let him do that. It’s suicide. I’m going to go after him. I don’t care what the mission is.”
“Roxy, you don’t even know where he is,” protested Colton. “How are you supposing you’re going to find him?”
“I’ll talk to Gabriel. He was the last one to see Imorean,” said Roxy, running an anxious hand through her hair.
“Then I’m coming with you,” said Toddy. “Both of you are my friends and I think the two of us would stand a better chance of finding Imorean if we were with each other.”
“Okay,” nodded Roxy.
“I’m in too,” said Colton, looking up and flaring his small, scarlet wings.
“Me too,” nodded Dustin.
“And me,” said Mandy, folding her arms.
“I’ll come with you, too,” said Baxter, nodding.
“No, Baxter,” said Roxy. “You’re one of Imorean’s team leaders. If anything goes belly
-up here, Raphael will need you, Dustin and Mandy to take some form of charge among the students in our year group.”
“So you’re saying we shouldn’t come?” asked Baxter, sounding angry. “Imorean’s our friend too.”
“We know,” said Toddy. “But I think Imorean would be disappointed if we all abandoned the other students here.”
Baxter sighed and looked down.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“So, you expect us to just stay here?” snarled Mandy, her hands curling into fists. “Baxter’s right, Imorean’s our friend too!”
“You’ll have to buy time for us anyway,” said Colton. “If Uriel catches onto this before we can get off campus he’ll put us on lockdown. We’ll lose our only chance.”
Then the door to the small house opened and all the students froze.
“If Uriel catches onto what?” asked a voice from the doorway.
All six students looked up guiltily at the sound of the voice. The very Archangel they were wishing to avoid was standing in the threshold of the door.
“The six of you know where Imorean is, don’t you?” asked Uriel.
There was a collective shiver as all the students noticed a faint, yellow light emanating from around Uriel. The very metal of the Archangel’s sword was humming. Already, the windows were beginning to rattle in their frames. Uriel was furious.
“Where is the boy? This is not his war. He is simply a piece in this war machine. Tell me where he is so that I can bring him back safely.”
Roxy’s stomach turned.
“We don’t know,” said Baxter, squaring off with Uriel bravely.
“I know there’s something going on here. I don’t appreciate secrets, especially not in this time of discord. Heaven is on the brink of civil war in the wake of Michael’s coma. The last thing I need is insubordination from you students.”
“We have no secrets,” said Colton, stepping up and shaking his head.
“Then where is Imorean?” asked Uriel.
“We don’t know,” said Toddy.
“Oh really?” asked Uriel. “Let me see his map and plans then.”
“Go ahead,” said Roxy. “There’s no clues on it. Imorean’s gone off on his own and you won’t find him from here.”
“We’ll see about that,” snapped Uriel, moving toward Imorean’s bedroom. “Stay here, all of you. I’ll deal with you in a moment.”
The students watched with bated breath as Uriel entered Imorean’s bedroom. They waited one second. Two. Three. Then they moved. Roxy, Mandy, Dustin and Colton scrambled over each other toward the door. Toddy reached it first and held it open as Colton dashed through. Baxter launched himself toward the door of Imorean’s bedroom and slammed it shut.
“Get going!” shouted Baxter, putting all his weight against the handle and holding the door shut. “You’re the ones who need to find Imorean. Get out of here!”
“What about you?” asked Roxy, pausing in the doorway.
“Just go!” called Baxter, ducking his head down as a sword rammed through the wood at the top of the door.
With Baxter’s words ringing in their ears, Roxy, Toddy, Dustin, Mandy and Colton bolted out of the front door and into the chill of the night. They did not get too far though.
“Stop!” cried a voice.
The group of five ground to a halt just meters down the boardwalk from the door to their house. There was a collective hesitation as a shape stepped out of the shadows.
“Gabriel,” said Roxy, standing between the Archangel and her two friends.
“I can help you,” said Gabriel. “I can set you on Imorean’s trail.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” asked Roxy.
“Get down!” shouted Gabriel, leaping forward and shielding all three students with his wings. Roxy covered her eyes as a bright, yellow light leaped forth from the windows of their house. Yellow flames belched into the night. Planks of ruined wood spattered into the fjord.
“Baxter!” cried Roxy, braving the vibrant light. She spotted a dim figure thrown clear of the light and crash into the black water.
The eruption of light died. The house was a flaming hell. Uriel was walking very calmly along the boardwalk toward the group of six. The Archangel was shrouded in a yellow halo and pale light was flickering up and down the blade of his sword.
“Find Imorean. Help him. He’ll need you,” said Gabriel, turning toward the small group of students. Before Roxy or any of the others could fathom what was happening, they were thrown forward tumbling away from the world in front of them.
Gabriel swallowed hard and took one step backward. There was hot, electric fury emanating off Uriel. Something static, metallic.
“Uri,” said Gabriel, steadying himself. “Imorean isn’t being insubordinate. He’s putting things right.”
Uriel stopped and leveled his sword at Gabriel. The younger Archangel steeled himself as he looked at his older brother’s hands, holding tightly onto the handle of the sword that could end his life. Gabriel was dimly aware of figures moving around nearby. Footsteps on the boardwalk. Uriel’s supporting forces. He didn’t know how many. He didn’t care. All that mattered right now was him and his brother.
“I am the leader of all angels now and I did not give Imorean leave to go. He has to respect me. You do too.”
“Uri,” said Gabriel, trying to suppress the tremor in his voice. “You’re not yourself.”
“You know what’s happening in heaven! They think we are responsible for Michael’s coma. They think I did this to him. They think I set him up. I want change. I want peace. Angels are siding. Some are taking my side, supporting me. Others are backing Raphael, Imorean, you and the old ways. I need no more opposition than I already have.”
“Then, Uriel, don’t do anything. Don’t do anything that could spark a rebellion. Don’t change like this! This isn’t the way! With everything else that’s going on. A civil war is the last thing we need. See reason, Brother.”
“Don’t you see, Brother?!” cried Uriel, hauling his sword back. “The only way to get everyone under my wings is to get you out of the way.”
“Do it then, but let me say this before you kill me,” said Gabriel, taking his sword out of its sheath and tossing it away so that it landed on the boardwalk some distance away. “I would rather I died than have another one of my brothers hurt in front of me. You’re not the type to murder your little brother in a fit of jealous rage, are you? Michael’s coma has affected us, but it hasn’t changed who we are. No more death, Uriel. No more killing. Let Imorean go and do what is right. No more of this. We can mend the schism between the angels if we work together. I know we can. I have already lost one big brother. Don’t make me lose another. Please, Uri.”
Uriel laughed loudly, met Gabriel’s eyes and swung. Gabriel braced himself for the blow, but instead, he heard the tremendous clang as angel steel met angel steel. Raphael was standing between them.
“Stop this, Uriel!” shouted Raphael. “This is insanity.”
“Step aside, healer, or I’ll strike you down too.”
“No,” said Raphael. Gabriel could see his arms shaking from the effort of holding back Uriel’s sword. Then Uriel stepped back, and lowering his weapon. Gabriel surveyed his brothers. Uriel was sneering at them. Raphael’s attention was on the member of Imorean’s squad who had been thrown clear by the force of the blast from the exploding house.
Then Uriel spoke and drew Gabriel’s and Raphael’s attention back to him.
“Archangel Gabriel, I am arresting you on charges of insubordination and conspiracy against the Chief Archangel. You will be returned to heaven to await trial by the angelic inner circle.”
“Uriel, you can’t do this! Heaven will dissolve into civil war. What will happen to these humans and Earth?” shouted Raphael.
“And you!” roared Uriel. “You also are under arrest. You will remain here under guard in the hospital wing, to tend to Michael until we remove his life suppo
rt.”
“No,” whispered Raphael, his sword falling from his hand. “No! You can’t do that!”
Uriel grinned at them and Gabriel finally saw in the half-light that his teeth were sharper than they should have been. They had been right. Uriel was possessed.
“You’ll do as I say, Raphael,” spat Uriel, approaching the doctor.
“I will never take Michael off life support. I will never take an order like that from you.”
Raphael cried out as Uriel’s sword shredded the shoulder of his uniform. He stumbled and fell, gripping his bleeding arm.
“Not for me, you won’t, but you’ll do it for your brother, won’t you? For Gabriel.”
Gabriel looked up in fury as Uriel raised his sword. A few drops of Raphael’s blood landed on his face.
“You’ll be the extinction of us all,” said Gabriel, as hands settled on his shoulders and forced him down onto his knees. He glared up at Uriel in silence.
“Leverage,” hissed Uriel, sheathing his sword and turning away. Gabriel sighed heavily and dropped his gaze down to the ground. He and his brother needed Michael. Michael was the leader that held everything together. Without his guidance, the world of the angels was already fragmenting. The only one who could make any change now was Imorean.
Gabriel looked up as his hands were tied behind his back and he was hauled up to his feet. He met Raphael’s helpless eyes with a sense of finality. He didn’t know if he would ever see his brother again. The entire future of the angelic race was in the hands of a child who had not even been born into their lifestyle. Imorean was their last hope.
Chapter 50
Imorean jerked awake as the plane touched down on the runway at Reykjavik’s Airport. The flight hadn’t been long, but Imorean had been very tired. He was emotionally spent. Were Gabriel and Raphael both all right? He hoped so. He wondered if his friends had found his letter yet. No, he didn’t think so. They were probably still at The Main. There could be any number of things that they were doing. He had a feeling that they wouldn’t find the note until tomorrow morning.
Angels Defying (Angels Rising Book 3) Page 33