Page 92 of Dark Angel

“What do you remember about them, dear?” Josephine looks at Kora for an answer.

Kora’s bright eyes glance around at them, “Not enough. I was four when they passed. I do remember my mother’s voice. She would sing to me at night to put me to sleep. She always smelt sweet as well, like sugar and honey. Father also smelt of wood smoke and tea. I think that is where my fondness for collecting tea leaves stems from.”

“You are a tea lover too!” Valarie lets out excitedly. “I have a whole range in the kitchen. I adore tea.”

“So do I.” Kora chirps with curved lips.

“Yes, Tessa would always have some sort of tea on hand to brew. Your mother made the best in London. I think she’s the one who got Stefan hooked.”

“What else, dear?” Josephine asks, resting her chin on her hand.

Kora tries to remember the fine details she has in the back of her mind.

Her eyes glance at Jordan’s for a moment. She knows he’s able to read her expression better than anyone else here. He leans over, his elbows on the table, face bracing for what she’ll say next.

“Nothing else really.” Her voice dropping. She places her fork down on the plate and looks at Tobias and Josephine. “But the mainreason I’m here this evening actually is to ask you both about their deaths.”

Josephine’s eyes widen as Tobias chokes on the piece of potato he was chewing on.

When he finally stops choking, with the help of a staff member hitting his back repeatedly, they both look at her, surprised. “Are you sure you want to know, Kora?” Josephine asks kindly.

With a nod, Kora approves, “I would, please.”

“Very well.” Josephine looks at her husband for help.

“You see Kora. When you were a child, four years old to be exact, there was a battle that took place here in London. I am sure you have heard about it, the Battle of Aureum. Infernal attacks were high that year, with a new death every week. The Ascendancy knew something powerful was coming. Something prevailing and dark.” Tobias begins to explain.

“I was with your mother that day when the battle began. I was nursing Valarie while you, Jordan, and Clarence were playing in the room together. Clarence had a vague of idea of the circumstances, but you two didn’t really understand what was happening. Lucy Bladesmith came to the door, saying that the Ascendancy needed us to fight. We left you children here with Elsie Hayward, who at the time was thirteen. She was too young to fight, so she agreed to watch you all.” Josephine continues.

Tobias clears his throat a bit. “Swarms of Infernals were appearing in London from other realms. Seraphim were everywhere in the streets fighting alongside Elementals, Spellcasters, and even Shifters. Nobody wanted the Infernals to win, it seemed. It took us two days to rid the demons away from the city.”

He pauses, looking between the three adolescents sitting around the long dining table. All of them listening because neither of them have spoken about the battle since they first left London. It pained them too much.

“We were on the embankment down near Lament Reach. Your father and I were fighting alongside Josephine, Tessa, Robert, Lucy, Thomas, and Will. We all grew up together and trained together. We fought well side by side.

“Tessa was wandering further along the embankment where the buildings begin to line the road. Stefan followed after her, not wanting Tessa to go on alone. We didn’t think much of it, and we had our own hands full fighting off Infernals. The group of us managed to kill off every demon in that particular spot before going to search for your parents. We searched for hours, killing more Infernals along the way. They seemed to be appearing every minute from thin air.”

Tobias’ eyes flick to his wife’s beside him.

She reaches out, taking his hand in hers. “Your mother did what she thought was right.” Josephine lets out. Her face looking sad and remorseful.

Kora frowns at her, waiting for her to explain, forgetting about the food on her plate, growing colder by the second.

Josephine sighs softly. “We never found them after that. So, we don’t know for certain what happened to them. We never discovered their bodies.”

Kora audibly sucks in a breath, her peas utterly forgotten about now.

“Tessa was our strongest fighter, so we thought she was very capable of going ahead and clearing a path for us. I’d trained with her most of my upbringing. She could outfight everyone with ease.”

“Stefan included.” Tobias adds with a nod.

“Tessa and her golden blade against the world. She was convinced that the weapon was so powerful it could strike down a Dark Angel if it ever threatened her.”

Kora leans back in her chair, the air pulled from her lungs. The blade her mother left for her. She’s felt its power, what it’s capable of. The angelic energy alone stored in the metal is so forceful and mighty, she feels it each time she holds the hilt.Uriel’s blade.

“We fought all night and day until the Infernals let up and returned to their realms. Enough of us were injured. The infirmary has never housed that many patients before. We told Clarence that your parents died in the attack. We tried telling you, but you didn’t really understand what any of it meant. We held a funeral in place of their bodies, which you all attended, and then we decided to move away. The pain was too unbearable for us.”

“Where is Tessa’s blade now, then?” Jordan questions them.

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