Imorean’s thoughts churned as he mulled over Roxy’s words. He looked down. He had really upset her this time, but how was he to know she had been so distressed? How was he to know she would have gotten so angry over just a few little words? She had never said anything before. Imorean’s mind turned. Bethany was going to try to help Roxy leave. Who was Bethany Voran, really? The Saving Grace Scholarship was supposed to only be available to students with great financial need, wasn’t it? Or was that just something that Michael and Gabriel had told him to get him to continue the application for it? From what Bethany had hinted while they had been a couple, he had gathered that her father wasn’t short on money. Imorean frowned. Bethany and her father did sports like skydiving together. Bethany claimed to love extreme sports. She wore designer clothes. She was prepared for almost everything that had been thrown at her. It was almost as though she had been preened to go to Gracepointe. Now, Bethany and her mysterious father were going to try and help Roxy get away from two Archangels. There was something far too odd going on. Again, Imorean considered calling Gabriel when he got home, but he refused to be the reason that he and the rest of his classmates were recalled home. He didn’t know what to do. He was caught between his desire to do things right and his desire to protect his friend.
Imorean wasn’t sure how long he stayed seated on the bench, thinking of what he should or shouldn’t do, but he knew when he raised his gaze to the sky once again, the world was starting to get dark. He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily through his teeth. His mother would be worried sick. Imorean nodded his head, then shook it, conflicting emotions running relays in his head. As he stood up, he swallowed. No one, except himself, Bethany and her father, knew about Roxy’s plan to leave. Imorean was certain the plan would eventually cycle its way out of Roxy’s mind and she would be able to see sense. Or at least, he hoped as much.
Chapter 28
Company. Imorean kept telling himself it was company he missed rather than Gracepointe. He missed the companionship of his own friends. He missed students his own age. He missed commiserating with them. Most of all, he missed Roxy. His best friend. He had expected her to give him the cold shoulder for some time, but when he didn’t have any contact from her the week of Christmas, he began to grow more worried. Roxy hadn’t contacted him for over two weeks. She couldn’t have left. He knew that somehow, he would have heard about it if she had. What if she’d been found out and sent back to Gracepointe? Somehow Imorean doubted it. Again, he had a feeling that Gabriel would have let something slip. He had considered going to Roxy’s house, but always ignored the idea. Her family was unpredictable and didn’t appreciate uninvited guests. With Roxy being moody as well, Imorean had a suspicion he wouldn’t be greeted warmly. Roxy had always been welcome at Imorean’s house, but Imorean had never been overly welcomed by Roxy’s parents.
Imorean checked his phone once again. Roxy had opened all of his text messages, but had responded to none of them. She was certainly shunning him, but Imorean couldn’t help but grow increasingly concerned. Maybe she was much angrier with him than he had originally thought. Imorean sighed. Of all the possibilities, that seemed the most likely. Imorean ran a hand through his hair and scratched his head before he sent her a text message.
‘Roxy, we need to talk. Please.’
Imorean set his phone down on the counter in the kitchen, not expecting a response. He rubbed his eyes. Even though he was immensely happy to be home, he couldn’t help but feel lonely. His friends had become his rocks of support at Gracepointe, but now that Roxy wasn’t talking to him, he felt very cut off. He, Mandy, Toddy and Colton had talked and texted quite a lot over the break, but they were too far away for him to see until they all returned to Gracepointe. He briefly wondered if Roxy had spoken to them, but he doubted it. He was her closest friend, or at least he had been, and Roxy wasn’t the type to go to anyone else with things she considered secrets.
“Imorean, come and help, please,” called Amelia, pushing open the front door, her arms laden down with groceries.
“Coming!” replied Imorean, leaving his phone forgotten on the counter.
“Thanks,” said Amelia, making her way back out to the car.
“No problem,” replied Imorean, picking up several bags of groceries and helping his mother get them inside.
“Those wings of yours can’t help carrying extra groceries, can they?”
Imorean grinned as he knelt down to push a case of water under the sink. “I doubt it.”
“I haven’t seen Roxy since you two got back here. Is everything all right?” asked Amelia.
“I’m not sure,” replied Imorean, placing the waters on the floor and turning to face his mother. “I think she’s angry with me.”
“Oh? What about?”
“Nothing too big,” said Imorean, breaking open the case of water and removing one bottle before he finished shoving the remaining ones under the sink.
“Imorean,” said Amelia, folding her arms and giving him a sharp look.
Imorean hesitated and opened the water bottle, hoping to buy some time. He took a quick sip and replaced the cap. How did his mother always know when there was on his mind?
“I –” began Imorean. He stopped dead. The water in the bottle was rippling violently and there was a dull rumble in the air.
“What’s that?” asked Amelia, her earlier question seemingly forgotten. “Does winter vibrate now?”
“I doubt it,” replied Imorean, all his senses on high alert. He frowned and moved to the window, praying it wasn’t what he thought it was. Surely, demons couldn’t have found them here. Not with so many angels so close by. Not with Gabriel holding up the defenses. Another rumble of thunder sounded. Louder this time. It did not fade away, but rather grew louder still. Imorean looked over his shoulder. Had he just heard brakes squeal in the driveway? What on Earth was going on?
Imorean turned on his heel as the door to the house was flung open and Gabriel flashed into the house.
“Imorean! Get away from the window!” he shouted, grabbing hold of Amelia around the waist and pulling her from the kitchen to the living room. Amelia cried out in surprise, but her protest was barely heard over the savage thunder.
“Gabriel?” cried Imorean in shock, too surprised to move. His escort never appeared uninvited. “What are you doing here?”
“Get away from the window! Now!” shouted Gabriel again. His voice was angrier and more urgent this time. The noise was nearly deafening now. The very house was shaking. Imorean could feel his bones vibrating. He took a single step toward Gabriel. That was when silence fell. All the lights flickered off and the kitchen window exploded inward.
Imorean was flung forward onto his hands and knees by the force of the blast. His wings snapped out to the sides as he tried to hold his balance, but they did little for him. Vaguely, he heard his mother screaming. It was a dull noise after the continuous thunder. Imorean cried out as he fell to his knees and his hands smacked down on the kitchen floor, shards of glass embedding themselves in his palms. The pain hardly had time to register though, as he was grabbed by the shoulders, lifted clear off his feet and his back was slammed savagely against the wall. Imorean wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling some drywall had come loose behind the violence of the impact.
“Where is she?” snarled a voice.
Imorean’s eyes snapped open. He hadn’t been aware he’d closed them. Imorean’s brown eyes locked with a pair of furious, jade ones. Michael. His green eyes were blazing, his jaw was clenched, his nostrils flared and his entire body rigid. The Archangel was livid.
“What?” asked Imorean, shaking his head. He was shocked by Michael’s sudden appearance and by the Archangel’s question.
“You heard me!” cried Michael. “I asked you, ‘Where is she?’ Now, answer me!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” replied Imorean, shaking his head in confusion. He yelped as Michael bared his teeth with a noise like a growl and leaned
more weight on him, pressing him more firmly against the wall.
“Do not play dumb with me,” growled Michael, his voice low and menacing this time. “I know that you and Miss Daire are close friends. You, of all people, will know where she has gone.”
“What?” asked Imorean, his eyes widening. Roxy was missing? Had she done it?
“Michael,” said Gabriel firmly, placing a hand on his older brother’s shoulder and pulling him away from Imorean.
Imorean dropped back to his feet, slithered down the wall and came to rest on his hands and knees on the living room carpet. He groaned in pain as the glass buried itself deeper in his hands.
“You can’t do this,” snapped Gabriel. Imorean felt immense gratitude as he watched Gabriel circle around in front of Michael and stand between himself and the raging commander. “What have you found out? I only just made it here before you smashed in this poor woman’s window.”
“Miss Daire has gone missing,” replied Michael. He was speaking very quickly and Imorean thought the Chief Archangel sounded, of all things, worried. “I only heard about this a few hours ago. Ever since then I have been making my way here. I had a feeling he would know something about what happened.”
“Roxy’s gone?” asked Imorean, the pain in his hands from the glass forgotten as he stood up.
“Indeed,” replied Michael, turning to look at him.
“Back up!” Amelia shoved Michael hard in the shoulder, forcing him down half a step.
Had the situation not been so worrying, Imorean would have laughed at the affronted expression on Michael’s face.
“Just who do you think you are?” snapped Amelia, jutting out her chin and pulling herself up to her full height. She stood over a foot shorter than Michael. Unintimidated, she advanced on the Archangel, jabbing him in the chest with one finger. “You come bursting in here, shattering one of my windows and attacking my son. Now, you better tell me precisely what is going on or you’ll be seeing exactly why I have a concealed carry permit.”
Michael snorted and squared his shoulders, seeming to gather himself for a moment, before looking imperiously down at Amelia.
“I am the Archangel Michael. I apologize for the incident with the window. In my haste, I assumed it was a door. As for your son, who is under my command, I was under the impression he would know something about the developing situation with Miss Daire.”
“I’m quite sure Imorean doesn’t know anything,” said Gabriel, folding his arms and shuffling his wings angrily. “Now, be quick and be clear, Brother, what is happening?”
“I confess myself disappointed that I am informing you of this. Are you not the sentry posted in this tristate area?” replied Michael, glaring at Gabriel. “Miss Daire’s escort has been attacked. She is in bad condition and I fear we may lose another sister.”
“What?” asked Gabriel, his arms dropping from their folded position in shock. “I know we had a distress call this morning, but I dealt with it and spoke with her only an hour ago. Then again … do you think we have been compromised?”
“It would appear so. We can only assume that, perhaps the distress call was intercepted. Miss Daire’s escort sent out a second distress call to me and not to you. It appears she wanted to contact the more capable Archangel. She sent the second call to me only half an hour ago. I have already been by Miss Daire’s house. The house seems untouched but it is obvious Vortigern’s forces have been there. Our sister is with Raphael and Miss Daire is gone. The rest of her family was nowhere to be found when I arrived, so they could offer me no indication as to where she could have gone. I came to the second closest source of information. Mister Frayneson.”
“Roxy’s gone?” asked Imorean again, his blood cold. He felt unable to process the information.
“I was under the impression that we had established that fact,” replied Michael angrily, his huge, emerald wings twitching.
“No. No, that’s impossible.”
“Where would she have gone?” snapped Michael.
“I – I don’t know. I’m sorry, I don’t know … she … oh, no.”
“What is it, Imorean?” asked Gabriel.
“She contacted Bethany. She said Bethany and her father could get her away from here.”
“She told you this?” shouted Michael, his voice bouncing off the walls. “You knew about this? And you said nothing!”
“I’m sorry!” shouted Imorean, taking a step away from Michael.
“It’s all right, Imorean. I’m sure he just didn’t want to alert anyone for what may or may not have been a real threat,” said Gabriel, snapping his fingers. There was a quiet hiss as the window repaired itself. The younger Archangel took Imorean’s bleeding hands in his own and quickly touched each palm.
“I’m not Raphael, but this should help.”
Imorean gasped in pain as the slivers of glass were all removed and the skin mended. He didn’t complain about the pain, though. He felt more grateful to Gabriel for sticking up for him.
“Now, I need you to think. Where might she have gone?”
“There are so many places. I don’t know where to start.”
“Just point me in the right direction,” growled Michael. “My eyes have not failed me in the last millennia, they will not do so now.”
“You wouldn’t be able to find her,” said Imorean, turning to the Chief Archangel. “You don’t know the area and everything looks the same at this time of year.”
“Are you doubting me?” asked Michael. The Archangel’s eyes were boiling with fury.
“Yeah, I am,” replied Imorean. He had no idea why his nerve wasn’t failing him.
“Well then,” sighed Michael. “You find her if you are so confident in your abilities.”
“Me?” asked Imorean.
Michael nodded.
“Whoa, Michael,” said Gabriel, shaking his head. “You can’t do that. If there’s demons around here, they’ll kill Imorean straight off.”
Imorean trembled slightly as Michael’s face hardened. There was another distant rumble, like receding thunder, and Michael’s shoulders fell forward and he sighed heavily.
“You are correct, Brother.”
“Now,” said Gabriel. “I know you’re just as upset and angry as I am, but we need to be clever about this. What’s the plan?”
“There is an advance guard not far behind me. They will be here shortly. Raphael is already in the vicinity.”
“Good,” nodded Gabriel. “I’ll strengthen the security barriers as much as I can and wait for them. None of our students will exit or enter the tristate area without my knowledge.”
“You will? And what do you propose I do? Sit here and preen?”
“Go with Imorean. If you’re going to send him after Roxy he’ll need protection and as far as I know, he has no weapon.”
“Excuse me? I was under the impression I was the commander here.”
Gabriel ran a hand through his brown hair. “Michael, stop wasting time with power struggles. We have a job to do. Roxy is out there, maybe being beset by demons, maybe injured and lost or worse. There’s no proof she reached Bethany and her father. We can’t afford to waste time arguing.”
“I’m sorry, don’t I get a say in this?” asked Amelia, stepping forward. “And what about Imorean?”
“No,” snapped Michael.
“He is my son,” growled Amelia, folding her arms and not backing away from the Archangel.
“I am aware. There is a definite character resemblance. But he is my soldier.”
“Imorean,” said Gabriel, turning away from the quarreling pair. “Are you all right? That was quite a blast he hit you with.”
“Yeah, I think I’m okay,” replied Imorean, rubbing his shoulders. He had a feeling there would be bruises there tomorrow.
“Do you want to go and search for Roxy? I understand if you don’t want to go with my brother. Whether or not you want to go is completely your choice. In all truth, Michael has no right to ask this o
f you.”
“No, I want to go,” replied Imorean. “She’s my best friend. I have to go after her. It’s my fault this plan of hers made it this far.”
“Are you sure?” asked Gabriel, his hazel eyes were wide and surprised. “You and Michael aren’t exactly the best of friends.”
Imorean nodded firmly. He knew Roxy would be angry with him for telling Michael and Gabriel about her plan, but he had to be sure she was all right. No matter what they argued about, she remained his best friend.
“Okay,” replied Gabriel, turning back to his brother. “Michael, he wants to come.”
“As he should,” nodded Michael. “I may be in need of his help.”
“Imorean, you can’t be serious,” said Amelia, shoving Michael out of the way and stopping in front of her son. “This… this creature just attacked you and now you’re willing to leave with him? Are you mad?”
“Creature is rather a harsh term, I think,” huffed Michael.
“Mom, he’s my commander. I may not like it, but in a way, I have to do as he says. And think of Roxy. She could be in terrible danger. I need to make sure she’s all right. This is for her, not for him.”
“I don’t like the thought of you going,” said Amelia, shaking her head and looking away.
“He will be safe,” said Gabriel, brushing Amelia’s shoulder with one of his wings. “And if you wish, I will stay here until they come back.”
Amelia sighed in exasperation, stalking away from Imorean, Gabriel and Michael and sitting down heavily on the couch.
“Frayneson.”
“Yes?”
“If we are to go, we must go. We cannot afford to linger.”
“I know,” nodded Imorean, frowning. “Do I need anything?”
“No. I can provide anything and everything that you may need.”
“Okay,” said Imorean.
Angels Soaring (Angels Rising Book 2) Page 26