Page 34 of Living Legend

A sharp nod and blink later, she was in the sky and out of my sight. I raised my hand to block the sunlight as I watched the blue above me after she was gone. Reese cleared his throat.

“So, is that part of the plan? A meeting with Jonah? Well, Ariel now.”

“You catch on quick,” I answered sarcastically.

Reese repositioned his footing as he turned to the targets again. “Ha, ha. Won’t that be a problem, since we’re trying to get the office empty before we raid it?”

“That’s where you come in.”

I made the trip to Jonah’s office, but this time, I knew my intent. I knew the outcome of this meeting. At least, I knew the outcome I was hoping for. Whether it be Ariel or Jonah, it didn’t matter; they just needed to be distracted long enough for us to do some digging. The thought of getting caught, of having to explain myself, was the only thing that made me shudder. I could handle being scolded by Ariel, but Jonah made me cringe.

Three raps of my knuckles on the doors were enough for them to slowly start to open. The smell of cedar wood and citrus hit my nostrils immediately. Ariel was a strong believer in heightened senses, especially scent. He could differentiate between particular poisons and could even tell whether you’ve come through the southeast forest or the west. He looked especially exhausted as he sat in Jonah’s grand chair, slumped over his desk. He looked so small compared to the towers of books stacked around him.

When he didn’t look up after a beat, I cleared my throat. I had to get the conversation moving; I only had a few minutes before my plan revealed itself. Startled, he looked up at me, the emerald green in his eyes dimmer, his eyelids hooded. He had tied his red hair in a tight low bun against the back of his neck. The wood from the fireplace crackled, echoing around us.

“Ah, Nicholas. You wanted to speak, yes?” He blinked a few times, collecting himself.

I nodded, walking further into the room. I had this conversation all planned out. “I was hoping to possibly sit out of the Animus Seeking tonight?” I knew this was a lost cause. Animus Seeking was something all sentries did once a month, removing souls from the human realm and bringing them to their new home, Heaven. Getting out of the task was impossible.

The executive angel’s eyebrows shot towards his hairline in surprise. “Sit out of the Animus Seeking?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You and I both know that is quite impossible.”

“I would do it another time, just not tonight,” I added, knowing this would get me a heavy sigh followed by an incredulous laugh.

Ariel leaned into the desk, watching me from across the room. I had no intention of sitting down, so I stood my ground. I could see, even from a distance, that small lines pulled at the corners of his eyes. I noticed them every time he smiled, which wasn’t often, but when it happened, they caught my eye. “We set up the duty schedules in advance. Sitting out is unacceptable; there is no replacement for you.”

I quickly glanced up at the gold metal clock above his head. The minute hand ticked away, and I counted with it. Just a few more seconds.

“Jonah’s tasks have been taking a toll. I was just hoping to get a night of rest.” I shrugged, fiddling with the hem of my shirt.

“Out of all the sentries, you are the last I would expect to want a day of rest,” he pointed out. “You and that overzealous friend of yours.”

He was right, on all accounts. My eyes peeked up at the clock again, my heart thudding hard in my chest. “All I’m asking for is one night, Ariel. I’m sure if Jonah were here, he wouldn’t mind.” I knew I was overstepping a bit, but not enough that I would regret it later.

Ariel pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. “Nicholas, I will not tell you again, the answer is—” I heard the door slam before he could finish, followed by the sound of running, footsteps pressing hard against the stone floor. Voices carried from the hallway into the room, rushed and speaking all at once.

At least he was on time.

Ariel looked behind me, waiting for the reason behind the commotion.

Two sentries opened the doors, a panting and sweaty Reese pushing past them. His face was flushed, his hair sticking to his neck. It was a decent number of stairs to get here, but not enough to make him sweat puddles. He had an exasperated and crazed look on his face.

“Sir, we have a problem near the southeast woods!” he started, not glancing over at me, but standing beside me. Each word came out harshly as he tried to catch his breath.

“What kind of problem?” Ariel prompted, his face dissolving into concern.

“Two of the trainees got into it with another sentry and a guardian. I didn’t catch the reason, but it didn’t look good. There were more getting involved before I came here.” His voice was loud, but not loud enough to rattle the walls. He had enough strain in his voice to sound stressed and concerned, but not enough to draw any suspicion.

Ariel pushed back his chair and stood, placing his hands on the edge of the desk. “And there were no other sentries to help control the situation?”

Reese shook his head. “I’m not sure. I tried to diffuse it, but I think it would best be dealt by someone high up.” I’d told Reese to stroke Ariel’s ego, make him feel needed.

Ariel pressed a hand down the front of his velvet blue jacket, looking around the room. “Southeast woods?”

“They’re starting the new open terrain training today.” That was the only thing that wasn’t a lie.

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