“Fine!” he snapped loudly. “Do whatever you want.” Luke hopped off of the desk. He pushed a small gift box across the desktop and stomped to the elevator. I watched as he ascended, leaving me alone in the lobby. I reached over and began unwrapping the gift. Inside was a bracelet made with the same seashells from the grotto. I smiled in sadness, tears welling up in my eyes. After taking a few minutes to catch my breath, I went back to the party. I lied to my mother and Alex, saying that I didn’t feel well and needed to leave. Alex kissed me goodnight after my mother hugged me. I then went back to my room, finding the silver goblet with my special wing vibrancy beverage on the vanity. I gulped it down and threw myself onto the bed. I fell asleep fully dressed and could not care less.
CHAPTER 16
I awoke the next morning feeling groggy. My hair was a knotted mess and I had somehow ripped my dress while sleeping. I tore the remnants of it off of me and slumped into the shower. Back in my room, I noticed that all of the gifts from the party had been placed at the foot of my bed. I sat on the floor and opened up each one. From clothing to jewelry, I owned more possessions in that moment than I ever had before. Afterward, I found a yellow cotton blouse and my jeans on the vanity. Yellow leather boots sat on the floor, their laces dark orange. I rushed to get it on and was extra careful when pushing my wings through the back slits. They had grown a few more inches overnight. More of my feathers were turning blonde, shedding their grayness. I drew my hair into a high ponytail and smirked at my reflection in the mirror. I looked different, but in a good way. Feeling my new necklace briefly, I then headed straight to breakfast.
Rider, Alex and Luke were nowhere to be found. My mother was cooking up something tasty in the kitchen with Sacra. Glinda floated over and said I looked lovely. Thankful I didn’t have combat training that day, I took my time eating breakfast before heading downstairs to explore the ARC some more. I peeked into all of the lobby’s rooms I hadn’t visited yet. Done investigating, I then explored each floor via the elevators. I reached the floor directly below Rider’s quarters where I discovered a library. It took up the entire ninety-eighth floor of the ARC. Thousands of rows and shelves filled the expansive room. Tall ladders that would take forever to climb reached the ceiling. The shelves that reached the ceiling were so far away, I couldn’t differentiate the colors of the book spines. The library was lit by miniature versions of the same chandeliers from the lobby. Large cushioned chairs and sofas dotted the room. I walked down row after row, opening up books of all shapes and sizes. Some smelled new while others practically fell apart in my hands. An older-looking librarian sat there watching me as I explored, smiling to herself.
“Looking for anything in particular?” she eventually asked. I noticed that the nameplate on her desk read ‘Anastasia.’
“No. I’m just browsing,” I replied.
“Alright.” She looked down to continue reading a tablet in front of her.
I thought for a moment. “Actually, yes. I could use some help.” I had changed my mind.
“What topic are you interested in?”
“Warren Sato.”
She smiled and got up from her seat. She walked swiftly toward one of the tall ladders. She began climbing and I followed. About midway, she reached over and pulled a red book off of a shelf to her right. The entire shelf transformed into a pathway and she hopped onto it, agility clearly not affected by what I thought was old age. Against the wall was a round, wooden door. She opened it and stepped through. Once inside, I was captivated. A small room lay before us, walls entirely lined with books. A tiny desk sat in the middle, with a cushioned chair and red lamp.
“Every book in here is about Warren Sato,” said the librarian. “Anything you need to know about him you will find in here.”
“Thank you.” She left me alone in the room and I began grabbing random books. I sat at the table and spent the next several hours reading. Anastasia entered from time to time, bringing me cookies and a beverage she referred to as ‘milk.’
By the time the afternoon rolled around, I couldn’t read anymore. My eyes felt tired, so I made my way back through the lobby. I found Rider in his office, which was right next to the defense department. Why I hadn’t thought to ask him before, I wouldn’t know. But I suddenly realized that I had no idea what his profession truly was.
“I am the head of defense operations. I established the defense department immediately after the ARC was constructed and reconfigured its systems after your great-grandfather passed.”
“Oh I see. You always look so fashionable, so I assumed you oversaw the clothing department,” I said, giggling. Luke entered the room, giving me a once over briefly. He averted his gaze and said hi to Rider.
“Very funny, Sol,” smiled Rider. “I only dress to impress one…” he began, then stopped abruptly.
“Who?” I asked, intrigued.
“Never mind,” he said, waving his hand and blushing.
“No! Now you have to tell me!” I exclaimed. Luke rolled his eyes and sighed.
“No, Sol. Please focus. There are very important things going on right now. I don’t need you pressing me on things that are none of your business!” he snapped, now completely red.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. I had to figure out who he was talking about. Div? Sacra? Maybe Glinda?
“Why do Div, Sacra, and Glinda stay in your quarters?” I asked, switching subjects.
“When your mother came to visit us before your Oculation ceremony, we all agreed to make my residence the official meeting place. After your mother left, the four of us spent so much time together planning that Sacra offered to decorate my spare rooms for everyone.”
“That was very sweet of her,” I said.
“Yeah she’s very talented. She did a great job with my room,” piped up Luke.
“Indeed. She’s been amazingly crafty for as long as I’ve known her,” replied Rider.
“I found the library today. It had a room entirely filled with books discussing the life of Warren Sato.”
“Ah yes. I established that room several hundred years ago. I wanted to learn as much as I could, hoping to find some sort of pattern that would work in our favor.”
“Did you find it?”
“Unfortunately, no. I’ve long given up trying to find any pattern and haven’t been to that room in decades.”
“Some of the books mentioned my great-grandfather. He really was an extraordinary man, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, Sol. Without a doubt. Regardless of Warren Sato’s evil-doing, jealousy and rage, Solomon Arch will always be remembered for the good he did in this world.”
At that moment, everything in the room shut down, including the lights. Without a word, Rider grabbed me and led us out of his office and into the defense department. Someone screamed. It was completely dark in the room. Soon every angel’s aura brightened and provided enough light to see. I quickly realized that my own aura lit up as well. Luke looked around in amazement. We heard the sound of a motor start up and everything turned back on.
“That’s the generator,” said Rider, who seemed extremely concerned. “The power is still out, though. Something is wrong.” As soon as he spoke, all of the hologram screens in the room flickered on to an image of Warren Sato. He was standing in the Capitol Excellency Building, with his two advisors at his side.
“This message is for the citizens of Terredome,” he began. “Two days ago, a fugitive by the name of Soleil Arch murdered four laboratory technicians and brutally killed a young girl by the name of Angelica Chere, along with a security guard.”
“That’s not true!” I shouted.
”Quiet. Wait,” cautioned Rider.
“At this time, we believe she is being aided by three persons of interest. They are Luke Duto, Ruth Arch, and David Rider.”
“Wait…your first name is David?” I asked, turning to Rider perplexed.
“Shh!” he hissed.
“Military personnel will be stationed on every block wi
thin Terredome. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of these persons of interest, please report it to one of the military personnel. If you have information regarding the whereabouts of Soleil Arch, please report it to one of my advisors directly. If any of these aforementioned people are watching, please turn yourselves in. You will be treated fairly and given the opportunity to vouch for your actions.”
The screens went blank. The only sound in the room was the running motor of the generator. Rider ran over to a hologram and began typing rapidly. Suddenly, an alarm rang out.
“I activated the emergency alarm system. I believe Sato has found our location and shut off the power supply. We must head to the lobby immediately.”
Luke and I ran behind Rider into the main lobby, followed by all of the angels who were in the room. The lobby was in a state of panic. Angels flew everywhere, yelling to each other from afar, knocking into things. Angels spilled out of the elevators looking for others they knew. We ran over to the welcome desk where Ace was typing onto a hologram screen.
“I’m activating our lockdown system,” he said without looking away from the screen.
“Quickly,” replied Rider. “If his minions shut off our power supply, he’ll be here within two hours. And please pass me the overhead speaker microphone.”
Ace reached down and pulled out a headset. Rider placed it over his head and flicked it on.
“Attention everyone!” he bellowed. The lobby came to complete silence as everyone turned to face him. “We are officially in lockdown. Please do not panic. Follow my directions and we will all be safe. We’ve had these drills before, however today is not a test. Everyone please line up with those who reside on your floor.”
Angels began flying across the room to stand in groups according to the floor they lived on. I scanned the crowd trying to spot my mother. Amongst the loud talking and quick movements, it was hard to make out exactly who was coming or going.
“Floors one through thirty, please exit through the emergency tunnels.”
Ace pressed a button on the screen and all of the elevators whisked up and stopped at the ceiling. The floor directly below them opened up into seven holes. Each group of angels then began diving down into the shafts. I found my mother and waved her over to the welcome desk.
“Finally, floors thirty through fifty, please exit through the emergency tunnels.”
The remaining groups of angels dove through the shafts. Alex came over with Glinda, Sacra, and Div. The remaining angels from the defense department ran and flew back into the defense room. Suddenly, one hundred angels mysteriously appeared surrounding us, dressed in dark green uniforms. All were enormous; over seven feet tall and muscular. Their wings were larger than any I had seen until that point. All of them possessed swords, and shields were resting on their backs.
“Soldiers, welcome. General Matthews, please debrief.”
An angel with expansive gray wings and an extensively decorated uniform stepped toward the desk. He was larger than all of the others.
“Four demons were caught tampering with our power supply in the grotto. They were questioned and exterminated.” He spoke with a deep gravelly voice that gave me chills.
“What information did the demons provide?” asked Rider.
“Sato’s robotic army is complete and ready to launch. They are scheduled to begin the destruction of cities in two days at 18:00. A select group of special demon operatives from his military are tasked with breaching the ARC at the same time with specific orders to kill all, except Soleil Arch.”
“Alright. Establish an airborne perimeter. We will blast the grotto, blocking off all access points. Everyone in the emergency tunnels is to be escorted to our bunker location. Authorize the launch codes from the ATS room. Our Los Angeles affiliates can begin preparing their transport center in the event of an evacuation. They can also offer defense support as needed.”
The general nodded and turned back to his army. His aura brightened radiantly and they all nodded. It seemed as though his aura was communicating with them. Then they all disappeared.
“How’d they do that?” I asked.
“You’ll learn in a moment. I’m afraid that there’s a lot I may have to teach you on the fly,” acknowledged Rider. “Glinda, Sacra, please escort Ruth through the emergency tunnels. Alex and Luke, you both will flank me as I head to the grotto to activate the demolition switches. Somehow, our defense system was compromised. Sol, please head with Div to the Combat room. She will give you a quick battle and weaponry overview.”
Rider ran toward the main door of the lobby, followed by Luke and Alex. Sacra and Glinda both gave me a quick hug and then flew down the tunnel shaft. I turned toward Div who had already unsheathed her sword.
“Time to get busy,” she smirked.
CHAPTER 17
The entire ARC was jarringly quiet. Except for the sound of the generator running, no one was seen roaming building. It had been an hour since Rider left with Alex and Luke to demolish the grotto. Ace watched them on a security feed as they ran throughout the grotto. We watched them check and install dynamite throughout the tunnels. I had attempted some small talk with Luke, yet he brushed me off and walked away. Eventually, Div and I made our way into the combat room. Within a few minutes, I found myself standing in the center of the room in a defensive stance while Div explained defensive hand-to-hand fight strategies.
“When defending yourself, forget to think.”
“What?” I asked, perplexed.
“Forget to think. The more you think, the less receptive you’ll be to reacting quickly.”
As I pondered what she said, she smacked me across the head with her rubber bat.
“You see?!” she exclaimed.
Rubbing my head, I nodded. Why was she always right?
This time, my senses kicked in just as she raised the bat to strike my face. My wings instinctively flapped a strong downbeat to propel me up and over her head. I landed behind her and reached out to grab the bat from behind. She swiftly spun around, whacking my arm.
“Ow ow ow,” I said, holding my left arm, wincing.
“You took too much time to think about snatching my bat!” she yelled.
“Ok ok,” I replied.
“Again!” She faced me, legs apart and unmoving. I stood tall and took a deep breath. Like before, I saw she was about to jab the bat at my torso. Again, my wings propelled me up and over her head. As soon as I landed, I bent and slid under her legs, ending in a defensive crouch.
“Better,” she smiled. “Let your instincts guide you. They are always right. While these techniques are imperative foundational skills, you will need a weapon considering what we’re facing. Weapons allow for increased speed and accuracy. Low-ranked angels can die via battle. Higher-ranked angels can also die, however it takes a lot more than battle to kill them. However, all levels of demons are susceptible to every form of death. For that reason, you’ll notice the plethora of weapons we have lining the walls.”
After my first encounter in the combat room, I hadn’t been back since. Now, however, I took time to look around and assess the various swords, knives, and daggers that hung everywhere.
“We all have a preference,” continued Div. “Like Rider, Sacra loves a clean sword, yet Glinda is quite skilled with knives. I enjoy using swords, yet my favorites are sais. Sacra and I spent several decades in Japan studying the use of ancient weapons and I fell in love.” She walked over to a display of weapons. The sais had one long metal point in the middle, flanked by two smaller prongs. It resembled a miniature pitchfork. She grabbed two and began spinning them in her hands. She continued fighting the air with them, making her way towards the center of the room as she wielded them. My wings fluttered as I watched her, fascinated and eager. She then threw both sais across the room, landing in the eye sockets of one of the rubber sparring demons.
“Were you in Japan when you took that picture on the boat?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yes
,” she said. “I believe Sacra’s sword from her training there is in your room.” Div yanked the sais from the dummy’s eyes and continued flipping them in her hands.
“I want to learn how to use those,” I said.
“Are you sure? These are not easy to work with.”
“I’m definitely sure,” I replied with certainty.
“Grab a pair off of the display.”
I ran and grabbed an ornately decorated gold pair, my wings flapping excitedly against my back. I then joined her in the middle of the room.
“Remember, we only have two days of training. If this doesn’t work, just grab a sword and I can teach you the basics easily.”
“It can’t be that difficult.” I took the handles and began twirling them in my hands. Soon my eyes closed and I began moving around the room, wielding the sais as if I was fighting an invisible opponent. It felt like second-nature. I stopped and opened my eyes. Div stood to the side watching me cautiously.
“How did you do that? I thought you’ve never used them before.”
“I haven’t. It just came over me. That’s been happening a lot since I arrived here. My body just knows what to do,” I shrugged.
“Your great-grandfather was like that with everything he touched.” She looked down momentarily. Div then met me in the center of the room. “Begin!” she commanded.
Intuitively, I blocked one of her jabs and we both began dueling. We worked our way throughout the entire room, not once stopping. Slice after slice, jab after jab, I avoided her blows as she followed me around. She attempted to catch my neck, when I bent forward and nicked her shin. She took a step back and looked at her leg, a slice in the pant leg of her catsuit.
“Oh no I’m so sorry Div!” I ran forward to make sure I hadn’t injured her.
She looked up and began to laugh. “I think that’s the first time in my very long life that anyone has come close to drawing blood from me.” She continued laughing. Not knowing what else to do, I began to laugh with her. Soon we were both laughing so hard, tears streamed down our faces. Our wings bounced up and down while we giggled. As we settled, she walked closer and placed her hand on my shoulder.
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