Page 5 of Living Legend

Reese placed his sword on the rack with a heave. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you, Nick, I’m not a swordsman. Never have been, never will be,” Reese stated between breaths, rolling his shoulders back.

“You aren’t going to get very far with just one weapon skill,” I countered, grabbing a towel before throwing one at Reese and grabbing a water bottle.

“Not necessarily,” he argued. “You’re the sword guy and I’m the one with the bow and arrow. Perfect team.” He lifted his hand for a high five, but I ignored it and swung open the door, propping it open.

Reese was a prodigal marksman with a bow, something we’d noticed as children. He'd had the highest scores throughout our training and had been given many handmade bows when we were teens, but he’d acquired a taste for sleeker and shiner ones as we grew.

As we walked down a hallway towards the showers, I heard my name called by a familiar voice. I peered over my shoulder to confirm my thoughts.

“Nicholas!” Markus Seraph, a short, gray-haired angel, shouted again. He wore a teal suit with velvet lapels, the various rings on his fingers sparkling in the mid-day light. “Nicholas!”

Reese muttered under his breath near my ear. “What did you do?”

I smacked him across the back of the head, and a swiftfuckleft his lips. I smirked, moving my attention back to Markus, now only a few feet away.

He paused as he caught his breath, placing a hand on his chest and another one his knee. He smiled at me and then at Reese. “Nicholas Cassial, I am—” he began, but I cut him off.

“I’m aware of who you are, Markus. We all are.”

Reese’s hazel eyes scanned Markus from his pointed shoes to his thinning hair. He was clearly contemplating whether he could leave the situation without any backlash.

Markus nodded and continued. “Mr. Cassial, you are wanted in the briefing room.”

I furrowed by brows in confusion. “Briefing room? What for?”

Markus searched around the hallway quickly before speaking in a whisper. “I am not at liberty to say.” His round eyes almost pleaded for my cooperation.

“Am I in some type of trouble?” I questioned. I’d only been summoned to a briefing room twice before. The first time, I was a child, accompanied by my father and scolded for swordplay on the grounds without supervision, and the second time was to offer me my sentry angel position.

The Skies lived and breathed hierarchy and balance among the people. Knowing your place but understanding how you fit into the bigger picture were huge. There were entire classes on how the system worked, and I’d been to every single one of them. Executive angels thrived at the top, where they made and oversaw all the rules. Sentry and guardian angels resided somewhere in the middle, and messenger angels fell right below. We got paid accordingly in celestial coins, which I made sure I monitored like a good, adult angel, unlike Reese.

Markus’ round eyes grew larger as he answered. “No, no, of course not. I honestly cannot say anything more.”

Reese spoke before anyone else could. “Have fun with that, man. I’ll go take a shower.”

“You as well, Mr. Diniel.”

Reese narrowed his eyes at Markus. “Excuse me?”

Markus sized him up just the same, eyes narrowed. “You must come as well. None of this is up for discussion, I assure you.” He turned on his heels. As much as I hated it, Markus, as an executive angel, ranked higher than both of us. “Briefing room 3!” he yelled before disappearing around a pillar.

“What in the hell just happened?” I asked, dumbfounded at the encounter.

“We just got treated like someone’s bitch, that’s what. Somehow,youdid something and got me dragged into your mess.” Reese swiveled towards the shower room door at the end of the hall. “You really are a bad influence.”

I opened my mouth to protest thathewas the bad influence, but he just winked as he went.

Our footsteps soundedin rhythm as we made our way to the briefing room. My shower had been less than pleasant, my thoughts running rampant. I thought back to the last few weeks, all my training days and sentry posts, but couldn’t find any issue. I had a slight moment where I reveled in the idea that I could be up for some type of promotion, but I was pulled out of my outlandish ideals when I remembered Reese would be there as well. The only thing Reese could be admired for is how to offend someone in ten words or less.

What would they need with two sentry angels who had only been appointed to The Skies six years ago? There were plenty of other angels who could do what I do, could do whatwedo.

“I can literally hear you thinking from all the way over there,” Reese said, shaking his head as he took one long stride after another. I wore a white t-shirt and navy jacket, while Reese decided a sleeveless gray tank top was appropriate, his hair in a messy high bun.

“You have to admit, this is odd.”

He shrugged, turning a corner and nodding to another sentry angel we had trained with. “Odd? Maybe. Intriguing? Hell yeah.”

My face twisted in confusion. “You’re excited about this? I’m afraid to ask why.”

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