Angels Soaring (Angels Rising Book 2)

by Harriet Carlton

“Are we going through this gate or not?” asked Baxter, breaking the tension. There was a loud snap as he spoke and the smell of burning electricity filled the air. Imorean’s wings flexed outward on instinct. He recognized the scent from the night the Hellhound had attacked and he was filled with a terrible sense of fear, as though he may have to face a repeat of the same incident.

  “Ha. She did it. Take that, Michael. For all your power, you can’t keep a single gate closed,” hissed Ryan, pushing on one side of the gates and running through as it swung open, his large, dark wings settling awkwardly on his back.

  Baxter was hot on Ryan’s heels, but Dustin hesitated.

  “Are you … are you coming?”

  It was Imorean’s turn to pause. He wanted to go. He wanted to join Baxter, Ryan and Dustin in their attempt to reach civilization and the police, but he didn’t want to leave his friends. On the other hand, this could be his only chance to help them. The gates meant freedom.

  “I – I …” began Imorean, torn. He stiffened as he felt something sharp, cold and metallic touch the exposed skin at the back of his neck. Dustin’s expression turned to horror.

  “Move an inch and I will not hesitate to run you through.”

  Imorean closed his eyes, his blood going cold and fear settling in a deep pit in his stomach. He knew that voice all too well. They were in trouble. Deep trouble, for Michael was standing behind him. Imorean opened his eyes as Ryan and Baxter were marched back into the gates, flanked by Gabriel and four other large, angry-looking angels.

  There was a hiss as Michael sheathed his sword. “All of you, follow me.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  It was the silence that worried Imorean the most. He had been standing still for some time now, but his heart still thundered in his chest as though he had been running for miles. He was standing next to Dustin in Michael’s office. Ryan and Baxter were on Dustin’s other side. Their wings, like his own, had sagged down to their sides in a mixture of tiredness and apprehension. Michael was nearby, his back to them, his gaze fixed firmly out the window. Gabriel, on the other hand, was facing them. There was a raw disappointment in his expression that made Imorean unable to meet his eyes. They had all been standing in silence for nearly an hour. The first rays of sunlight were washing over Michael’s green wings, casting them into an angry, orange glow.

  “So,” he said, turning at last. “Which of you foolish individuals cast this idea forward?”

  Imorean swallowed. He had an inkling of who had pitched the idea, but he wasn’t going to say anything. No one deserved to have Michael’s wrath, not even Ryan. Baxter and Ryan shuffled awkwardly and Dustin simply looked scared, the sun covering his thin face with sharp shadows. Michael crossed the room and stood in front of his desk. Imorean felt that he had never realized before just how imposing Michael could look. The man’s pale eyes were narrowed, his face hard as stone. His arms were folded across his chest, wings slightly flared, adding shadows to his features. Imorean swallowed again and his mouth felt dry.

  “I ask again, who thought up this idea?”

  Still silence reigned, but after a moment, Ryan moved.

  “Sir,” said Ryan. “It was Imorean.”

  “That’s a lie,” snapped Imorean, taking half a step forward. Michael’s eyebrows lifted and he exchanged a glance with his brother. Imorean shivered as Michael looked back at him and narrowed his eyes. Again, there was the sensation that the Archangel was understanding more than his eyes were seeing. Imorean shook his head as pressure settled around his ears and pressed inward. He slid a hand through his white hair and the pressure abated.

  “Baxter, Dustin?” asked Gabriel.

  Both boys, in near unison, shook their heads. Imorean sighed softly in disappointment. Had the situations been reversed, he would have stuck up for them.

  Michael drummed his fingers. “Imorean, is Ryan’s accusation true?”

  “No.”

  Imorean looked away as Michael scoffed in irritation.

  “The four of you are really leaving me no choice. One last chance, boys, whose idea was this?” There was a long pause. “Very well. All four of you will be punished.”

  “What?” snapped Ryan. “Sir, I already told you whose idea this was.”

  “And I do not believe you. Regardless, you all broke the rules and went out of bounds at night, which as you know, is forbidden.”

  Imorean couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t been entirely thrown under the bus.

  “I will see all of you this evening after flight practice in the gymnasium. You are dismissed. I will leave it to the four of you to explain to your fellow students why the entire campus is on full lockdown. Now, out.”

  Michael snapped his fingers and his office door swung open. Imorean sighed heavily as he turned and started to file out with the other three. A heavy hand on his shoulder stopped him. He stopped and looked up at Gabriel, his hazel eyes stony with disappointment. A bout of shame squirmed in Imorean’s chest.

  “I’m sorry, Gabriel,” said Imorean. He could feel Michael’s glare at his back.

  “I don’t know who started this stupidity, but I thought I could trust you, Imorean.”

  Imorean dropped his eyes to the floor. “I know.”

  “Meet me inside the gates for training tomorrow morning. We will not be using the sports field for a while.”

  “What?” asked Imorean. “I thought we were on lockdown.”

  “We are.”

  Michael spoke up. “Just because you have decided to make an idiot of yourself does not mean that training procedures at Gracepointe grind to a halt. Now get out of my office. I will not tell you again.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Imorean pulled the door almost closed and frowned. He felt happier than he had expected. Was he happy that his flight training had not been stopped? Why should he feel this way? It was wrong of him. He sighed hard and ran a hand through his hair.

  “Sorry about that, man.”

  Imorean looked up. A lanky figure with pale brown, barn owl wings stood before him. “It’s fine, Dustin. We’re all in trouble anyway.”

  “Wanna walk back together?”

  “Sure,” nodded Imorean, a smile pulling at the side of his mouth. He still thought Dustin was a good person and liked him more than Ryan or Baxter.

  Together they turned and began to walk back past Michael’s, still partly open, office door. As they passed, Imorean heard voices.

  “What was it that you wanted to report, brother? Now that our student issue is dealt with.”

  “Michael, we got a report in during the small hours of this morning.”

  “I am aware of the report. The content?”

  “It was from Uriel’s company.”

  “The one in Romania?”

  “Yes. Uriel is missing.”

  Imorean stopped and gasped softly. Uriel was gone? But he had just seen Uriel in his dream a few hours ago. He held up a finger to Dustin and pressed his ear against the wall, standing as close to the door as he possibly could. Gabriel went on.

  “He vanished last night after a skirmish. According to his second in command, he was heavily wounded.”

  “… I assume that his squadron has not found him.”

  “No.”

  Michael spoke, worry evident in his voice. “I will see if I can find him from here. If not … then perhaps we shall organize an offensive. Send an emissary to the Pearly Gates and bring down Remiel. He can fill Uriel’s place for a little while.”

  “Do you think …?”

  “That Vortigern may have taken him prisoner?”

  “Yes.”

  “I fear the possibility, Gabriel. I truly do. We should be five, yet we are already down to four. We cannot afford to lose another Upper Archangel. We would be crippled.”

  The two Archangels dissolved into silence and Imorean felt Dustin tug insistently on the back of his shirt.

  Quickly, quietly, Imorean followed Dustin out of the building and outside. His hea
rt was racing nearly as fast as his mind. Uriel was injured and had gone missing. Suddenly, Gabriel’s and Michael’s sudden appearances that morning made sense. They had been intending to meet each other, not a group of escaping students. They had received the same distress call he had. But why? Why was he hearing things meant only for the Archangels?

  “What was that about?” asked Dustin, setting the pace as they walked back to the dorm.

  “There’s something wrong with the Archangels.”

  “But that doesn’t concern us, Imorean. That’s their problem.”

  Imorean shuffled his wings. “If they aren’t up to their full fighting strength, their problems may become ours a lot quicker, Dustin.”

  Chapter 15

  “You idiot.”

  Imorean looked up at Roxy from a much-needed plate of dinner. She looked furious as she sat down across from him at their regular table in the dining hall. His heart sank. He was already worried enough about what Michael had planned. He didn’t need Roxy berating him as well.

  “You couldn’t have just let Colton come into your and Toddy’s room to spend the night, no! You had to go running off in the middle of the night after one of the only people on this entire campus who passionately hates you. What kind of sense does that make, Imorean?!”

  Imorean sighed, pushing his dinner away. His appetite had deserted him in favor of shame and irritation. “Sorry, Roxy.”

  “Why, why do you have to be so impulsive?”

  Imorean raised his head sharply. “Are you seriously mad at me right now? Do you think Michael hasn’t chewed me out enough?”

  “I’m just really disappointed. I thought you had better judgement than that.”

  “I guess I don’t,” snapped Imorean, narrowing his eyes. “Look, everyone else on campus is already pissed at me for getting us put on lockdown. I don’t want you to be too.”

  “I’m not mad at you, Imorean. I’m just upset. I wish you hadn’t done it.”

  Imorean sighed heavily and buried his hands in his hair. Toddy, Colton and Mandy sat down at the table as well.

  “We aren’t mad at you, you know?” said Mandy.

  “I’ve been trying to tell him that all day,” said Toddy. “He won’t listen to me.”

  “You should be mad at me,” sighed Imorean. “I screwed up. Big time. I mean, I’m part of the reason that all of the gates around campus are locked and bolted now.”

  Mandy smiled at him sympathetically. “Yeah, but it’s not all your fault.”

  “Only twenty-five percent your fault. So, what’s Michael gonna have you doing?” asked Toddy, elbowing Imorean lightly.

  “No idea.”

  “Well, it probably can’t be anything too bad, right?” said Mandy. “I mean, he can’t really do anything too drastic. You’re a student.”

  “Probably not,” sighed Imorean. He looked up again, and immediately met Colton’s eyes. The small boy was looking at him intently.

  “What is it?”

  “There’s something on your mind,” said Colton. Imorean noticed as Roxy, Toddy and Mandy turned slightly more toward him.

  “…Yeah. There is.”

  “What is it?”

  “Okay, so you know how I was having those dreams about the Hellhound for months before it actually showed up?”

  “Yeah,” nodded Roxy.

  “I had something similar last night. I dreamed that Uriel got really badly injured. After me and Dustin left Michael’s office, I overheard them talking.”

  “Snooped, you mean,” said Roxy.

  “Very funny, but, no, I don’t mean ‘snooped’. I overheard them talking about Uriel. He went missing last night after a skirmish. Michael and Gabriel can’t find him.”

  “So, you mean, your dream was right?” asked Mandy.

  “Yeah. It seems so. I think it was a distress call that I heard.”

  “I don’t get it, man,” said Toddy. “You shouldn’t be this tuned in with the Archangels.”

  “I don’t know,” muttered Colton.

  “What makes you say so?” asked Imorean, looking at the smallest member of the table.

  “You’re very tuned in to supernatural stuff anyway. You knew something was going on here a long time before any of us did. You were the first one to wake up after we all got our wings and Michael does seem to have a connection with you.”

  Imorean remembered what Ryan had said at the gates and scoffed. “Yeah, right. Gabriel and me are way more likely to have a connection than me and Michael. Michael hates me with a passion. Most of what I find out is just down to natural curiosity and intuition.”

  “Most of it?” asked Mandy.

  “Yeah, the rest of it is just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “Well,” said Roxy. “That doesn’t explain how you knew there was something wrong with Uriel before Gabriel and Michael did.”

  “It’s luck, coincidence, Roxy. That’s all it has to be.” Imorean looked at his watch. “Look, it’s almost eight. I have to get going. Michael will be waiting and I don’t want to piss him off even more.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Imorean’s shoes squeaked as he walked across the gym floor. Almost the entire building was in darkness. A single light was on, illuminating a small circle in the center of the floor. Dustin, Baxter and Ryan were already there.

  “So, any sign of them?” asked Imorean as he approached the others.

  “No,” said Baxter. “It’s creepy in here. I don’t like this.”

  “Yeah,” nodded Dustin, pulling his pale brown wings tighter around his body. “I don’t like it either.”

  Imorean looked at his watch. It was one minute past eight. Michael and Gabriel were late.

  “Should we leave?” asked Baxter, looking around and shuffling his too-big wings.

  “Apparently our punishment isn’t that important,” sneered Ryan. “The only punishment has been wasting our time.”

  With those words, the only source of light in the gym went out. Imorean’s heart leaped to his throat and he looked around in blind confusion as Baxter swore loudly. The darkness was suffocating.

  “What’s going on?” asked Dustin.

  Imorean walked forward and bumped into someone. Maybe it was Dustin? Imorean jumped backward and landed on someone else’s toes.

  “Seriously?” snapped Ryan.

  “Sorry, it’s a bit dark, if you hadn’t noticed,” replied Imorean, his voice equally as venomous. He raised a hand. He couldn’t even see its dim outline.

  A loud bang echoed through the nearly empty gym. Imorean smelled something heavy and metallic. There was a rotted smell too and his pulse slowed. It beat low and loud in his chest, a tattoo of fear. His mouth was dry, impending violence leering over them.

  “What was that?” Imorean asked, his voice in a whisper. He dared not speak any louder.

  “I don’t know,” replied Dustin in a quiet tone.

  All around them, Imorean heard small noises. Noises that could mean nothing or noises that could mean something horrible. Scufflings, snorts, huffs of breath that seemed almost nonexistent. Imorean flinched as Michael’s loud voice blared over the intercom, bouncing off the empty walls.

  “Since the four of you seem to enjoy trying to escape confined spaces and hurling yourselves into dangerous situations, this is an exercise you should be good at. Work as a team to leave the gym.”

  “This is a punishment?” asked Ryan. Imorean could hear the sneer in his voice. “Anyone got a phone?”

  “I have,” said Dustin.

  “We can use the flashlight and walk straight out.”

  “I don’t think we can,” said Imorean.

  “And how do you know that, albino boy?”

  “That bang. I think all the doors are locked. Plus, we’re dealing with Michael. Just walking out would be too easy.”

  “What do you mean they’re locked?” whimpered Dustin, his voice jumping up a few octaves.

  “I mean we’re stuck in here.�
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  “Come on, guys. Whatever we’re gonna do, let’s just hurry. I feel like I can’t breathe right in here,” said Baxter. Imorean looked in the direction of Baxter’s voice. There was barely constrained panic in it and Imorean remembered how the other boy had acted at the gates. Imorean realized suddenly that Baxter was afraid of the dark.

  “Well, if the doors are locked, we’ll kick out a window. There’s glass all over this place,” said Ryan, switching the light of Dustin’s phone on.

  Imorean blinked against the small, LED light as Ryan shone it around the group.

  “Piece of cake,” shrugged Ryan. Imorean curled his upper lip in the dim light as Ryan shot him a nasty look.

  Ryan and Baxter strode off, Dustin following a few steps behind. Imorean walked slowly after them, trying to keep his steps light. He felt again that they were not alone on the gym floor. He felt the same way he had in his nightmares. Hunted. Marked.

  Imorean watched in the lonely light of Dustin’s phone as Ryan tried to pull one of the doors open. The deadbolt clanged menacingly and reverberated around the gym like a gunshot. Imorean turned to go back to the main floor of the gym. They needed to find an exit that would work. He jumped violently as Dustin suddenly slammed himself into the door.

  “Let me out of here!” he shouted, his voice bouncing in the empty room.

  “Shut up!” snarled Ryan. “We’ll find a way out.”

  Imorean narrowed his eyes. This was supposed to be their punishment. Locked in a dark gym. Michael was trying to prove some kind of point. But what was the punishment itself? A horrible, trilling rattle filled the empty room in the gym. Bright white lights flashed on and off at short, sharp intervals. Imorean pressed his hands hard against his ears. Fire alarm.

  “Turn it off!” screamed Ryan, making himself heard.

  “What do you want me to do about it?” snarled Dustin, a note of panic in his voice now.

  Imorean caught sight of Dustin ramming his shoulder over and over into the locked gym door. Through the strobe lighting, Imorean could see the other boy’s eyes were wide with terror. His teeth were bared in strain and fear. Imorean turned again. Baxter was huddled in a corner, eyes glazing over with a fear only he could name.