“Imorean, stop!” she shouted, swatting him hard.
“Looked like you were having trouble,” he grinned.
Ryan made eye contact with him. “How’d everything with Sariel go? He seems rough to get along with.”
“Not bad. Michael dismissed him pretty soon after I got in.”
“For such powerful guys, these Archangels can be so petty,” said Baxter.
Across the lobby, someone coughed. Imorean looked up, Ryan and Baxter copying his movement. Sariel leaned on the opposite fireplace, arms folded. Imorean narrowed his eyes. How had he got there without being noticed?
“Petty is a compliment where I come from,” said Baxter, flushing deep red.
Imorean watched as Sariel walked across the lobby and stopped behind their couch. He narrowed his eyes further, confused. Something was off. Maybe the aura? Sariel looked taller somehow, as though someone had added two inches to his height.
“Petty, huh?” asked Sariel. “I guess I can be petty. I like to pick on hybrids because it makes me feel powerful. I don’t think Michael loves me enough, which makes me jealous when I’m around his favorite students. I also like to pick my nose and eat it.”
Then Sariel grinned in a very un-Sariel way. His eyes shimmered once, fading from blue to hazel. Imorean smiled as he sensed purple. The façade dropped away. Sariel disintegrated and Gabriel appeared.
“Not a bad impression of him, if I say so myself,” grinned Gabriel.
“How? Why?” asked Imorean.
Gabriel grinned. “I saw an opportunity and I took it. And how? Come on, Imorean, you should know this.”
“Hey, I’m the one who thought they were going to get their head bitten off,” said Baxter. “I want to hear this. How’d you do it?”
“Archangels can change their appearance at will for a limited amount of time. I’m the best at it,” said Gabriel. “I’m not sure if Imorean’s told you yet, but Raphael asked me to tell all of you myself, too. Cancel all plans for tomorrow. We’re taking you down to Pangnirtung and tossing you out of an airplane. Colton, you’re coming, too – I think we’ll be giving you a parachute. We were thinking of having you all in Pangnirtung by seven o’clock, so I’d recommend an early night.”
“Really?” asked Colton from where he still lingered on the second-floor balcony.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Imorean.
Gabriel shrugged. “Well, Colton’s got to get used to being in the air again.”
“He has a fair point, Imorean,” said Colton. “I’m fine with it.”
“Okay. You got it,” replied Imorean.
“What’s the point of this?” asked Gabriel, turning to the television screen.
“You’ve never played a video game?” asked Baxter.
“Well, between keeping Michael from murdering anyone, cleaning up his messes, cleaning up this squad’s messes and keeping the world from falling into chaos, I haven’t really had a chance. Are they hard?”
Baxter and Ryan looked at each other.
“Where’s the spare controller?” asked Baxter.
Imorean laughed and shifted upright, crossing the lobby to the last open chair. Gabriel learning to play video games. He wouldn’t miss this for the world.
Chapter 47
Pangnirtung’s airfield was deserted. A single plane settled at the end of the runway, geared up for takeoff. The town beyond the airfield lay still and quiet. Not yet awake. It was too early. Imorean yawned, trying to keep himself awake. He hadn’t slept well the night before. His dreams had been turmoil and he had kept waking up. Though after the night before, it wasn’t really a surprise. All things considered, he was calmer than he thought he should be. Perhaps it was the idea of a solution. The idea of his family’s rescue. It had to be.
He shuffled, his wings feeling odd and heavy, trapped beneath the pack containing Colton’s artificial wings. Four cold, muscle-sensor pads lay under his shirt, pressed flush against his back. Two of the pads rested beneath his wings, the other two on the small of his back. They weren’t uncomfortable, more unsettling than anything else. His sword shifted on his back. The straps were looser than usual and Imorean sighed, adjusting it again. He gave another yawn. Maybe he was pushing himself too hard. A break would be wonderful. He looked over at the rest of the squad. Roxy rested her face against Ryan’s back. Colton and Baxter chattered quietly. Small talk in a desperation to stay awake. Kadia’s head nodded even as she stood.
Imorean shook himself as Raphael clapped him on the shoulder, far too peppy for this early in the morning.
“Gabriel’s speaking with the pilot now. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You probably won’t even have to say a word. You’re aware these wings will not work as your natural ones do, correct?” asked Raphael, his voice shaking.
“I figured as much,” nodded Imorean, adjusting his loose sword again. He could sense the excitement wavering off Raphael. “Anything about them I should know?”
“Yes, there will probably be a delay between the formation of thought and the reaction of your wings. You may have to think a few seconds ahead.”
“I can do that,” nodded Imorean.
Raphael raised an eyebrow. “Can you? In the field, can you do that?”
Imorean hesitated. There was some new emotion running in Raphael. Worry? Care, maybe? A mixture of both?
“I’ll do my best,” he said.
“That’s all I can ask for, I suppose,” replied Raphael. “Just keep in mind that Colton will need extra time for everything.”
“I will.”
“Thank you.” Raphael looked away and Imorean glanced up as well. Gabriel was climbing down out of the cockpit.
“Guys,” called Imorean, turning his head. His squad jerked at the sound of his voice, pulled from their own worlds.
“We ready?” asked Roxy, standing upright.
“I think so,” nodded Imorean. He watched as they checked their equipment and made themselves ready to leave.
“You are, indeed,” said Raphael. “Do not zip this back up.”
Imorean stumbled and choked back the urge to laugh as Raphael grabbed the pack, violently unzipping it. “The wings won’t get stuck sliding out of the pack, will they?”
“They shouldn’t,” replied Raphael. “We’ll have to see what they do this morning. I’ve got motion sensors on them for now to see if they open and work as they should.”
“But, you think they might not open at all?” asked Imorean. A cold stab of worry shocked his blood.
“Anything is possible. They’re prototypes, Imorean. This is the first live test we’ve done on them.”
“Raphael, my wings are trapped under these ones.”
“Only so you don’t open them as opposed to the prosthetics.”
“What if they don’t work?” asked Imorean.
“I asked Michael that last night. He said he was certain you would figure out a solution. He recommended teleportation. You’ve done it before. You’ve also got your entire squad. Of course, they won’t be much help if you’re stuck in freefall, but they’re emotional support.”
Imorean could have sworn one of his eyes twitched. “You’re serious?”
“Everything okay?” asked Colton.
Imorean somehow wasn’t surprised that Colton was the first of his squad to arrive and be ready for takeoff. Roxy and Ryan weren’t far behind. Baxter and Kadia were still lingering on the outskirts of the group.
Raphael made a calming motion with one wing. “Gabriel and I decided to give you these as well.”
Imorean swallowed his nervousness as Raphael held out one large, Bluetooth headphone, a small GoPro and a camera mount.
“The earpiece will keep you in contact with me and Gabriel back at Felsenmeer. The camera will record what happens and the mount, obviously, will just keep it in place. We’ll be in direct contact throughout.”
“Well, that makes me feel incredibly safe,” replied Imorean. It didn’t. He would s
till be jumping out of a plane without really knowing if he would be able to stop his fall.
Roxy nudged him. “What’s that for?”
“Oh, you know, just in case the wings don’t work,” replied Imorean, turning on the headset. He swore under his breath as his sword shifted on his back again. The straps really were too loose. He glanced over as Gabriel finally finished crossing the tarmac.
“If they don’t, we’ll help you out,” said Kadia.
Imorean balked. He didn’t want to repeat what Raphael had just said to him. If he ended up in an uncontrollable freefall, would Roxy, Ryan, Kadia and Baxter be enough to help him?
“Reliance goes both ways, Imorean,” said Ryan, folding his arms.
Imorean opened his mouth, but Gabriel spoke over him. “If we’re all done squabbling? Good. The plane will take you inland, up the fjord and let you out when you get to fifteen thousand feet. Colton, you’ll need to open that parachute when you’re around three or four thousand feet in the air. Kadia, you stick with Colton throughout the dive. You’re responsible for helping him to a safe landing zone. Roxy, Ryan, Baxter, the three of you are to watch each other. Help Kadia and Colton if they need you.”
“What about helping Imorean?” asked Kadia.
Imorean flashed her a quick smile of thanks.
“We would rather you didn’t interfere with him unless there’s a life or death issue,” replied Gabriel. “Colton’s wings need this kind of testing, and more rigorous ones beyond this, if we’re going to find out what issues there are.”
Imorean gave Roxy a small smile as she looked at him. She was worried. He was glad he wasn’t the only one.
“Whenever you’re ready, guys,” said Gabriel.
Imorean nodded and stepped off first. If he didn’t move now, he never would. Nerves would overwhelm him. God, he hadn’t been this nervous since he had flown in the simulator for the first time at Gracepointe. His heart beat faster. A cold knot settled in his stomach and it wasn’t from excitement. His fingers shook as he pressed the headpiece into his ear. No, these trembles weren’t anything good.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Excitement. That was the ruling emotion. Imorean swallowed. How, how were the others this excited about jumping out of a plane? Even Colton was excited. Then again, they all had failsafe wings or parachutes that would stop their falls. Imorean looked up at the others. He didn’t know if either of his wing sets would work at this point. He looked up at the gap in the plane’s hull. Outside, there was nothing but sky, a few jagged mountain peaks baring their heads through gaps. Open air. They had further to ascend.
“You okay?” asked Roxy, raising her voice over the noise of the plane engine.
“Yeah, I think so,” nodded Imorean. It was a lie. He wasn’t okay at all. The fear he thought he had quelled back at Gracepointe had risen to the surface. There was no way he was going to tell Roxy that. Static crackled in his earpiece.
“Got that camera mounted?”
Imorean smiled as Gabriel’s voice poured directly into his ear. “Done and done. Facing the wings, right?”
“Perfect.”
A kind of stillness settled over Imorean as the pilot’s voice called back to them.
“Fifteen-thousand feet. Make your way out the door whenever you’re ready.”
“Let’s do this!” shouted Ryan. He and Baxter bumped their fists together.
Imorean smiled at them both and stood up. “Ryan, you and Baxter out together. Kadia, you and Roxy. Colton, jump just before I do.”
“On it boss!” called Ryan. Imorean had to keep himself from shouting as Ryan sprinted to the open gap and leaped into the air. Baxter was only seconds behind him.
Deep breaths. Imorean balled his fists. He had to remind himself to breathe. He turned to Kadia and Roxy. “Go on, you two!”
Roxy grinned and swiped two fingers off her forehead before launching herself out of the plane backward. Kadia whooped and dove out of the plane behind her. Imorean gritted his teeth. They had wings. They had wings. They would be fine.
“You sure you’re okay?” asked Colton.
Gabriel’s voice crackled in the static again. “Ready?”
“Ready,” replied Imorean. “Colton, go ahead of me. I should be last out.”
“If you insist,” said Colton.
Imorean locked his jaw as Colton tightened his parachute straps. He stiffened as the youngest member of his squad stepped out, vanishing over the edge of the doorway. Imorean’s feet felt like lead as he moved across the narrow plane to the door. Then he stopped. Outside was nothing. Open. Abyss. He couldn’t move. Move and he would die. This hadn’t been a problem for months. Why now? Now of all times.
“Imorean?” Gabriel again.
Imorean didn’t move. He couldn’t. Outside, the clouds swept by. How far away was the rest of his squad now? They must have jumped thirty seconds ago, at least.
“What is it?” Not Gabriel. The voice sounded further away.
Gabriel replied. “I can’t get an answer from him.”
“My sensors say the wings haven’t deployed. He’s either still in the plane or he can’t get them to open.” That had to be Raphael.
Teeth ground together. Imorean couldn’t move. He was frozen.
“Let me talk to him.” A pause. Then, Michael. “Imorean, are you all right?”
A muscle in Imorean’s jaw twitched. He wanted to reply, but the words gummed in his throat. His sword strap slipped to the edge of his shoulder.
“Imorean, I know you can hear me. You have to jump. Your squad will be looking for you by now. Colton will have deployed his chute. You are the last one.”
“I can’t.” The two words forced themselves out of Imorean’s mouth. “Michael, I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Colton jumped without fear. Why do you linger?”
“What if the wings don’t work?”
“What if they do?”
Imorean blinked. If the wings worked, Colton would be back in the field. Colton would have his life amongst the angels put back together. At least one broken thing could be fixed. This wasn’t about him. Not his fear. Not his world. This was about Colton, helping one of the people he cared for the most. And he would do anything for the people he cared about. Imorean took a deep breath and latched his fingers around the door of the plane. Freezing metal greeted his touch. His eyes closed and he stepped out.
Chapter 48
Sixty seconds. That was all the time he had. Sixty seconds of freefall. Imorean held his eyes closed. He would time it better like this. Nothing to distract him. Fifty seconds left. All his fear had been left at the threshold of the plane. He didn’t need it here. It couldn’t follow him.
“Start thinking about deploying them now,” said Raphael, his voice nearly swept away. The earpiece had been a good idea.
Silently, Imorean acknowledged Raphael’s words. Forty seconds left. He made himself aware of the sensor pads lining his back. They were warm now. Not cold like they had been earlier on.
“Why hasn’t he opened his wings?” A colder voice.
Imorean’s eyes flickered open. Sariel had joined Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. Great. Another embarrassment in front of the surly Archangel.
“He has been instructed not to.”
“A parachute, then?”
“He doesn’t need one,” said Gabriel. Imorean started to smile, but a cold, sickening feeling that had nothing to do with the air temperature seized him. How long did he have left?
“Come on, come on,” muttered Raphael.
Imorean looked around. In the distance, he could make out five black specks circling a parachute. The squad. At least they were all right. But if he got into trouble … well, he got into real trouble.
Raphael’s voice crackled through the headpiece. There was a lot of noise in the background at Felsenmeer. “Imorean, open those wings.”
Habit kicked in. Imorean leaned back against the air, shifting his weight against gravity. His wings twitched as
he willed himself to open them, but they ran flush up against the fabric of his jacket. Trapped under the material. Work. He bared his teeth. There may have been one hundred feet of air left between him and the clouds now. What lay below them was a mystery. Work. These wings had to work! He cried out, every muscle in his back flexing. His sword scabbard flapped loosely against him.
“What is it?” Michael’s voice was garbled against the wind.
“They aren’t working.”
Even from this distance, Imorean felt a surge of Michael’s fear. “His natural wings?”
“Trapped. He won’t be able to open them before he goes through the clouds.”
Michael swore.
Imorean’s whole body was shaking now. Ten feet until cloud cover. Why wouldn’t these infernal things work? Both pressure pads were on him. Both? That wasn’t right. He snapped forward, pointing downward. The second pair of pressure pads slammed down onto his back and he focused. The world fell away. Cloud cover enveloped him. Any second now, he could crash into a mountain peak. At this speed, it would kill him. Then they were opening. Red flanked his vision. The wings had opened. The outline of stone appeared out of the cloud. Spin right! The thought had formed. Nothing. Stone defined. Imorean cried out. The wings reacted. The world blurred and he shook himself. He was in a gully, still descending. He focused and beat the wings, but the lower pressure pads lifted from his back again. He groaned and spun to the left, hoping to keep the pressure pads flush against his skin. It wasn’t working. The second pair kept leaving him. He slammed himself back, positioning to ascend. The second pair of pads crashed against him. He flew upward, the cloud cover thinning. Weight pressed against his back. Imorean gasped and looked over his shoulder. Roxy had appeared above him, one hand outreached and pushing the backpack against him. Baxter and Ryan rose out of the clouds from underneath.
“You okay?” shouted Baxter.
“Yeah,” panted Imorean. He gave them a grin. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Press up against my hand, Imorean!” called Roxy, her voice whipping away in the wind. “It’ll keep the secondary pads in place. Pull on your sword straps. That’ll make more pressure. We’ll have an awkward flight home, but it’ll get you back alive.”
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