by Linsey Hall
I hesitated, keenly aware of what touching me meant.
“I’m not as worried about it as you are,” he said, clearly reading my mind.
“Well, you should be.”
“I’m not.” He gently grabbed my arm and yanked me to him.
I gasped, clutching his shoulders as heat flared within me. “Well, all right, then.”
He nodded, satisfied. “Hang on tight.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, searching his face for any sign of discomfort. There might have been a slight tightening of his lips, but it was hard to say, exactly.
When his strong arms went under my legs and he hoisted me up into the air, I gasped. He held me tight to him, his warm body heating my own, and my head nearly spun.
Damn, I wanted him.
His massive wings shot out from his back, a midnight display that took my breath away.
He launched us into the air, and I looked down, watching Magic’s Bend recede into the distance.
“So we just…go up until we hit it?” I asked, the breeze tearing at my hair.
“Pretty much. There is a portal in the sky that can only be accessed by angels and their passengers.”
I wrapped my arms more tightly around his neck, partially for safety and partially for my own satisfaction. I couldn’t help the images that flashed through my mind as we headed upward—memories of us kissing, of us rolling around on the boat in the Bermuda Triangle.
“Doesn’t touching me bother you?” I asked. “I can feel my nullifying power affecting you.”
“It’s fine.”
“Fine? Feeling like your magic—and your soul—is being sucked out is fine?”
“It’s not a problem.”
His face looked really strained though. “It’s making it harder for you to fly, isn’t it? Your magic is repressed.”
“It’s a little more difficult, but it’s not a problem.”
Yeah, we definitely weren’t flying as fast as we normally would. My magic was repressing his. “You’re just ignoring it.”
“I create my own reality.” His smiled. “And frankly, touching you is worth it.”
I doubted that.
“There’s ways around everything,” he said. “I can get used to it. Or we can try to fix it.”
“Fix it? How?”
“I don’t know. But we’re smart. If we put our heads together, we can figure something out.”
I didn’t think it was possible to get rid of magic once I had it. And anyway, maybe it was a sign. I’d started to trust him, but that was a bad idea. Being alone had worked for a long time. I hardly knew him, and perhaps this was a signal from the universe that I should focus on other things in my life. Namely, staying alive. Doing my work for the Council of Demon Slayers.
Declan looked like he was about to say something, but I felt a surge of magic from behind.
His gaze moved to the spot off my left shoulder. “We’re here. Hold on tight.”
I gripped him closely, pressing myself against him. “Ready.”
He flew toward the magic, which grew stronger with every meter traveled. A faint golden light grew brighter as we approached, until finally, the ether sucked me in and spun me around.
Declan’s grip tightened, as if he didn’t want to lose me in the maelstrom.
Finally, the ether spit us out in the middle of a pale blue sky. Fluffy clouds surrounded us, and I leaned over to peer down. A vast white city stretched below us. Buildings from every period in history appeared to coexist side by side, each situated along a wide lane. There were no cars, and no people that I could see, but the place thrummed with energy.
“This is where the angels live?” I looked at Declan. “Where are they?”
“There aren’t as many as there used to be.” He lowered us to the ground. “Many leave, like I did.”
We landed in the middle of a courtyard. A massive fountain bubbled away to our left. The sky overhead was a deep, bright blue.
I let go of Declan, stepping aside almost reluctantly. “Which way do we go?”
“To the High Court. Come on.” He led the way down the wide lanes toward a massive biding with huge white columns. Powerful magic emanated from the structures, making my muscles quiver.
Declan strode up the massive front steps as if he owned the place.
I hurried to join him. “So, what’s the relationship between angels and fallen angels like?”
“Generally, it’s tense.” He shrugged. “Angels don’t understand why some choose to fall. We don’t understand why they stayed. Especially after the demon wars ended. But ours is a good relationship, otherwise. In some cases, it can be downright violent. Everyone falls differently. Our feather owner, for instance, probably isn’t allowed to visit here. He’s made his stance quite clear with the heart ripping.”
“Yes, I imagine the angels don’t agree with murder.”
“You’d be surprised. But they generally only want it to happen on their terms.”
Angels approving of murder? Fighting the demon wars was one thing. This was another thing entirely. Life was never what you expected, though, and angels were apparently no different.
At the top of the sweeping steps, massive golden doors rose tall and broad. Declan swung one open, and we entered a huge hall with a soaring ceiling.
I looked up toward a mosaic of glass tiles that appeared to depict brilliant clouds and a blazing sun. When I looked back down, Wally had appeared next to me. The little black cat’s back was arched, and his smoky fur wafted wildly.
He hissed, bright red eyes flashing to mine. You’re on angel turf?
“Not expecting that?”
No. See you later. He disappeared, clearly irritated and freaked out.
“Seems your hellcat isn’t a fan of angels.”
“I suppose it makes sense.” I turned in a circle, taking in the many huge doors that led off of the entryway. “Which one?”
Declan pointed to one that was at my left, then headed toward it. “This one, most likely. It leads to the meeting chambers, and you can almost always guarantee that you’ll find some of the High Court there.”
We strode toward it, our footsteps silent on the marble floor. Declan pulled open the door and stepped through. I followed, muscles tense. Angels were majorly powerful, and we were sneaking up on them. I trusted Declan to not lead us into trouble, but I couldn't fight my natural wariness. When I didn’t know exactly what I was walking into, my subconscious always filled in the blanks with death.
6
I stepped into the huge, darkly paneled room, my gaze going immediately to the five figures seated at a massive round table. Their combined magical signatures nearly bowled me over. I felt like I’d been hit in the face.
The sound of clashing swords and the terror of war emitted from the angel on the far right. She was tall with broad shoulders and a slicing scar across her face that had to have been delivered by a sword. A battle angel, no doubt.
The angel on the far left had a magical signature that felt like the pages of a book beneath my fingertips. It sounded like the scratch of a pen against paper. He was a slight man, with pale eyes and a thin mouth.
The three angels in the middle had signatures that I didn’t even understand. One of the women had a power that felt like judgment, which was nearly impossible to describe but extremely distinct. Another’s felt like drowning. That particular angel looked cruel, with dark eyes and a severe face atop a skinny body.
Mental note—stay the hell away from that dude.
The last angel sat with a serene look on her face, her eyes nearly closed, and she murmured something under her breath. She looked as old as time itself. She was in a trance of some kind, and I consciously lightened my footsteps even more, despite the fact that they were silent.
“High Court.” Declan’s strong voice filled the space.
The five figures stood, even the one who had been in a trance. Surprise flashed across some faces, irritation across others. Bu
t all of them bowed low.
I looked at Declan, impressed.
He inclined his head.
Ooh boy.
That was clear enough. Declan might be the fallen angel and these guys might be the official ones, but it was clear that the five of them really respected him. They held their bows for a moment longer, then rose.
“Declan O’Shea.” The battle angel stepped forward, her simple leather clothes a contrast to the ornate robes worn by the other angels. “We’re honored by your presence. But this is a rare occasion. What brings you to us?”
“We are here tracking a fallen.” He gestured to me. “Aerdeca is from Magic’s Bend, and she found an angel’s feather beneath the body of a murdered Magica called The Weeds.”
The five angels frowned.
“That’s odd,” said the scholarly angel with the pale eyes. “May we see this feather?”
Declan pulled it from his pocket and handed it over.
The man took it and studied it, a crease at his brow. “The white tip is unusual.”
I held my breath as the angels passed it around. Surely one of them would recognize it. There was confusion on most faces, until the feather reached the hands of the oldest angel—the woman who had been in the trance.
She gripped the feather and raised it to her face, squinting at it. She gasped. “Acius.”
The other angels turned to her.
“Acius?” The battle angel’s voice sounded skeptical. “He’s a myth.”
The oldest angel shook her head slowly. “The white tips on the end. Only one angel has ever had that, and we haven’t seen him in centuries. Millennia.”
“Is he a fallen?” Declan asked.
The old angel’s eyes flicked to him. “Most certainly.”
“What did he do to fall?” I asked.
The other angels moved closer to the oldest one. Closing ranks.
She snapped her mouth shut.
The battle angel looked from Declan to me. “This is a matter for the High Court.”
The other angels nodded.
“We will take care of it,” said the scholarly angel. “Thank you for bringing it to our attention.”
Whoa.
That was a clear dismissal.
I looked at Declan. A frown stretched across his face. The air in the room became prickly. Some kind of charm was igniting—one to make it clear that we were no longer welcome.
What the heck were we supposed to do now? We couldn’t start a fight in the High Court. I looked to Declan for guidance. Normally, I liked to lead the charge. But I was way out of my depth here.
Declan nodded. “Thank you.”
He turned to leave without another word, so I followed. We strode quickly from the room. As we neared the door, it opened for us.
“They’re ready to get rid of us,” I murmured.
“Indeed, they are.”
When we reached the far side of the entry foyer, those doors opened as well. They were really ready to get rid of us. Despite the great respect they’d shown for Declan, this was something that freaked them out so much they’d shut him out.
As soon as we exited and reached the open courtyard, I turned to Declan. “What the hell was that all about?”
“They’re closing ranks. They don’t want anyone to know what Acius has done. Or what he is. It’s a mess, clearly. Something they want to clean up on their own.”
“That’s stupid. We can help.”
He nodded. “That’s the High Court for you, though.”
“No wonder you chose to fall. The bureaucracy seems like a nightmare.”
“It is.” He gestured to the silent city around us. “Not to mention this place. Perfect and perfectly ordered…an extension of the strict hierarchy that keeps the High Court in the past.”
“It slows them down if they won’t accept outside help. How is this any different than your bounty-hunting jobs for them?”
“This is a fallen angel. A dangerous one, from the sounds of it. They’ll want to handle it themselves.”
“You’re sure they’re not on his side?” Even as I said it, I knew how unlikely it was.
“No, they’re not. If they were, they’d fall without choosing to do so and be magically evicted from the High Court. The mere fact that they are still in that building makes it clear they are on the side of right.”
“But they won’t catch him. Not quickly, at least.”
“Most likely, yes. But at least we have a clue. The name Acius.”
“How do we track that?”
“The Heavenly Archives. When I fell, I lost my access, but we can break in.”
I raised my brows. “Ooh, break in? Not very angelic of you.”
He just grinned. “That’s why I’m a fallen. Now come on. We’ve got some B&E to do.”
Declan led me through the courtyard and down a wide avenue lined with white stone buildings. The whole area was as quiet as a tomb.
“Wow, a lot of angels really have left, huh?”
He nodded. “Most were killed in the demon wars. Many who weren’t, left. This life is too different from that one. Once you’re used to the battlefield, you don’t want to come back here.”
I couldn’t blame them. This was just too perfect. Wally had definitely wanted to have nothing to do with it.
“We’re nearly there.” Declan pointed ahead, to a spot where it seemed like the world ended. The road disappeared into nothingness, giving way to the vastness of blue sky.
“What the hell?”
“Angelic headquarters are built on an island in the sky.”
I stepped up to the edge of the road and looked down into nothingness. Clouds floated below. “Holy fates, so this is why humans think angels live on clouds.”
“They aren’t far off.” He pointed to the right, and I leaned around to look across the edge of the floating island.
A long, narrow bridge stretched across the open air. At the other end, it connected to a towering building that gleamed golden and white. The building itself looked like a mountain, with turrets and towers piercing the clouds.
“That’s the Heavenly Archives?” It was big.
“It is. Thousands of years old, with records of almost anything you can think of.”
“So we’ll just fly over?” That bridge looked skinny and rickety, the way it dangled over open nothingness.
“Unfortunately, no. There’s a spell that prevents flying, since that’s the way most angels would choose to break in.”
“Ah, shit.” I eyed the bridge warily. “So we’re taking that thing, then?”
“That’s the plan. Come on.”
We walked along the edge of the floating island. Clouds drifted past, reminding me just how high up we were. And just how far we would fall if this plan went tits up.
We reached the edge of the bridge, which looked like it was a million miles long.
“What’s our plan?” I asked.
“Teamwork.” He met my gaze. “Remember that trick you pulled with my memory? Think you can do that with a guard?”
“Definitely.”
“That’s the plan, then. A guard should meet us at the halfway point on the bridge. If we fail to convince him we should pass, we’ll fall.”
I looked down, then said dryly, “I’ll endeavor to be convincing.”
“You can do it.”
“I’m going to become invisible so I can sneak up on him while you distract him.” I stepped onto the bridge, my breath held. I’d never really been afraid of heights, but this was another thing altogether.
Declan followed close behind. It was a narrow passage, meant for one, and I gripped the golden chains that acted as railings. The bridge swayed beneath my feet, and my stomach clenched.
Every step rocked the little bridge, and it took far too long to reach the middle. We were partway there when I spotted the tall figure approaching us. He was so pale he was nearly transparent, but he gleamed a perfect pearly white when the sun hit him just right.
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br /> “He’s not human, is he?” I whispered back to Declan.
“No, he’s a Celestial.”
I’d never tried my convincing magic on a Celestial before. As he neared us, I sensed his power in a way that vibrated my bones. I’d never felt magic like that, and I had no idea what he could do.
“Greetings, Pelatin!” Declan shouted from behind me.
Pelatin had very indistinct features—a narrow nose, small lips, and pale eyes. A bit like the popular conception of an alien. It was hard to read his expression, but he had an air of suspicion about him.
When he spoke, his voice confirmed it. “I thought you fell, Declan.”
“A bit of a misunderstanding,” Declan said.
I was only about ten feet from Pelatin now. I tried to match my stride to Declan’s so my footsteps didn’t rock the bridge at all. Hopefully Pelatin wouldn't sense my magic. I drew in a deep breath, trying to gather my signature to me. The nullifying magic was the hardest bit—that was new and difficult to control.
“You know that fallen are not permitted to access the Heavenly Archives.” Pelatin’s voice rang with authority. He clearly did not believe Declan’s story about a misunderstanding.
But I was nearly to him. I just had to get up close and touch him. I hurried my steps, staying as silent as I could as I sliced my thumbnail against my finger. Pain spiked, then white blood welled. As soon as I stood in front of him, I reached up and swiped my fingertip across his forehead.
He flinched when he felt my featherlight touch.
“Let us pass,” I whispered, imbuing my words with my suggestive magic. “We should be here. We have access.”
He blinked, clearly confused.
“Let us pass,” I repeated the words. “We should be here.”
Finally, he nodded, then gestured toward the Heavenly Archives behind him.
“Of course, Declan. You are welcome here.”
I glanced back at Declan, whose lips were quirked up in a small smile. “Thank you, Pelatin.”
Pelatin inclined his head, then turned and started up the bridge. He moved quickly, and I hurried to keep up, still stuck between him and Declan. I kept my hood up, careful to make sure the wind didn't blow it over.
As we neared the other side, the walls rose tall in front of us. They were massive, made of white stone shot through with gold. I followed Pelatin through the arch and into a small courtyard. Three streets diverged off the courtyard, all of which were surrounded by huge buildings. There was the sense that the buildings continued for miles.