Page 34 of Angel of Ruin

Sariel's golden eyes study me, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. "Alright, if that's how you want to play it. Let's work on your defensive stance."

As he guides me through the motions, his touch is gentler than before. His voice lacks its usual bite as he offers pointers and corrections. But with each word, each gesture, I find myself analyzing everything.

Is this genuine? Or just another layer of deception?

When he cracks a joke about my form, I don't laugh. When he offers praise for a well-executed move, I don't acknowledge it. I keep my responses short and to the point, focusing solely on the task at hand.

I can see frustration building in the set of his jaw, the tightening around his eyes. Good. Let him feel a fraction of the turmoil I'm experiencing.

Finally, Sariel stops mid-sentence, his earlier lightness evaporating. "What's going on with you today?" he demands, irritation clear in his voice.

I meet his gaze steadily. "Nothing. I'm here to train, not chat."

His eyes narrow, and for a moment, I see a flash of the cold, ruthless xaphan I first met. "Fine," he growls. "If that's how you want it, let's spar. No holds barred."

Without warning, he lunges at me, and I barely manage to dodge. As we trade blows, I push away all thoughts of last night,of overheard conversations, of betrayal. I focus solely on the fight, on surviving.

But I'm not sure I can even do that anymore.

17

SARIEL

Istand at attention, my wings folded neatly behind me as I face my superior officers. Their faces are stern, devoid of any warmth or compassion. Not that I expect any – we're xaphan, after all. Emotions are for the weak. For humans.

"We've been quite disappointed," the General begins, his voice strong and hard. "The bloodshed hasn't been quite as intense as we had hoped. The final trial approaches, and we need to ensure thatallthe humans fail. Spectacularly."

His guards move among the overseers, handing out rolled parchments. None of us dare move, keeping our eyes forward as we wait for orders.

The General paces a few steps before stopping, his golden eyes gleaming with malice. "We've designed a series of... let's call them 'enhancements' to the trial. Your job is to implement them without raising suspicion. Take a look."

We shift, unrolling the parchments. I scan the contents, my eyebrows raising slightly as I take in the details. This is… There's no hope of surviving this.

"Impressive," I murmur, though the word feels heavy on my tongue. "This will certainly crush their spirits."

"That's the idea," another overseer chimes in. "We can't have them actually succeeding, can we? Imagine the chaos if humans started sprouting wings."

The General nods. "Exactly. But remember – subtlety is key. We need to maintain the illusion that they have a chance. Hope is what keeps them coming back, what makes them entertaining."

"And we don't want to lose one of our most profitable games," a soldier next to him adds.

"Precisely," the General agrees. "Humans are simple creatures. Give them a glimmer of hope, and they'll endure anything. It's what makes them so... useful."

"You'll need to adjust these on the fly," another soldier explains, and I assume he's one of the ones that made the adjustments. "Watch for any humans showing promise and... discourage them."

The General rocks back on his heels, a satisfied look on his face. "Excellent. Now let's make these games one to remember," he says in way of dismissal.

As I turn to leave, my mind races with the possibilities. The thrill of orchestrating their downfall should excite me.

Instead, an uncomfortable knot forms in my stomach. Not for the humans or the games or even my disloyalty.

For Lyra.

At the thought of anyone trying to harm her. Violence claws up my throat as I consider that one of these overseers will delight in her pain, and I'd rather slaughter them all tonight rather than give them the opportunity to do so.

I storm down the corridor, my wings twitching with agitation. The parchment in my hand feels too heavy, each word a death sentence for the human candidates.

For Lyra.

---