Page 6 of Living Legend

Reese stopped midway down the hall, turning to me. “Every day, we do pretty much the same damn thing. What if this is somethingdifferent, Nick?”

I rolled my eyes slowly and deeply, knowing it intensely aggravated him. “Or, it's just a meeting to tell us they are desperately in need of trainers for the incoming angelic class.”

Reese pressed his lips together and shuddered at my words. We had only been temporary trainers once, and it was the last time. New angels, not yet granted a title or job, were assessed in all skills until they were deemed worthy of a place in The Skies, if they are to have a place at all. It seemed easy at the meeting, but angels with no discipline and no home training was the first time I’d ever had to bite my tongue quite so much.

We’d both politely asked Markus to never volunteer us for that again.Ever.

Reese set his hand on my shoulder, squeezing hard before responding. “Don’t ever say that again, unless you want me to revert to calling you Nick the Dick.”

I slapped his hand away, groaning at the distasteful nickname. We laughed as we walked down the hall, halting at the entrance to the briefing room. Usually, the doors aren’t guarded by any angels, but today was a rare exception. The angel in front of us was tall, taller than my 6’2 frame. His shoulders were wide, and his biceps pulsed outwards with quite a few tattoos.

“State your business.” His voice was deep, and it put me on edge.

I could feel Reese’s eyes on me, waiting for me to answer. I swallowed hard, pushing back my shoulders and straightening my back. “Nick Cassial and Reese Diniel, summoned by Markus Seraph.”

The sentry angel glared, seemingly swallowing us whole. He analyzed every inch of us before turning slightly and sliding his hand over the doorknob. The Skies’ security measures relied almost exclusively on angelic magic.

Gold flecks and white wisps danced over the knob until we heard a click. The door creaked open, but we remained on the other side. The angel stepped to the side, allowing us a view into the room. Markus and another angel, Ariel Fortes, turned towards us, the side of Markus’ mouth lifting into a small smile. He raised his hand, motioning for us to come in.

All the briefing rooms were generally the same: a long table of stained-glass, cream-colored carpet, dozens of windows, pearl marble walls. The only thing that set them apart were the ceilings. Each one was decorated in clouds, but that there was an angel sitting on a different one in each room.

Reese nudged my shoulder, using his index finger to push me forward. I stepped inside, trying to disguise my anxious curiosity with confidence. Reese shuffled in behind me just as the door shut with an intense snap.I heard someone clear their throat from the table in the middle of the room, and Markus moved aside to expose them.

“Mr. Cassial, I am delighted you could join us,” Jonah Zuriel, highest executive angel in The Skies, welcomed us. His voice was smooth as butter, but so commanding, it made me want to straighten my spine even more.

“Please, have a seat.” His skin was beige with a golden undertone, and he wore a teal suit trimmed in black. That black trim told a quiet story: Jonah ascended to his position through his father, his birthright, not through promotions. As all high executives normally do. I didn’t honestly care how Jonah got his powers; I respected him regardless.

He pointed his hand towards two chairs at the table, kicking out his middle and index finger in a quick motion so the chairs pulled back from the table on their own.

I sat in the one closest to him, while Reese settled into the other, Markus and

Ariel taking the seats across from us. They’d decided not to display their wings, tucking them into their backs. It was a painless process that required simple magic, the kind of magic every angel learns from childhood. Reese claimed it came in handy when in bed with a female; I was inclined to agree, butsometimesthe wings could be just as handy.

“You’re probably wondering why we called you here,” Jonah finally spoke. The last time I’d seen him was a few weeks ago. He seemed stress free and happier then, but now, something was off.

“That would be a good place to start,” I answered.

Jonah leaned into the back of the tall leather chair, letting his arms run down the armrests. “How much do you know about our dealings with the ones below, Nicholas?”

I shrugged. “I know we try to keep them quick, with as little hostility as possible.”

Jonah nodded - I had given him the answer he wanted. “Do you know thespecificsof those dealings?”

“I don’t understand, sir.” I responded honestly. “I have no idea. It's not really my place to know that kind of information.”

“Not that anyone would tell us in the first place,” Reese chimed in, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jonah chuckled as Ariel and Markus went rigid at Reese’s snark. “I suppose you’re right Mr. Diniel, but that’s why I called you here.”

Reese leaned forward, elbows on the table. “You brought us here to gossip?”

I kicked him in the ankle under the table, satisfied at the low grunt that left his lips.

“What do we have to do with the demons?” I questioned, hoping he would ignore Reese and his big mouth.

Thankfully, he did. “We have a….security problem, of sorts.” He placed his hands flat on the table, his palms down. “Years ago, we had a one-way portal system to other realms put into place. With our portal keys, only angels and designated guests can use them, making them impenetrable to demons.” Jonah took a breath, leaning to the side and pressing his index finger to his temple. “There was a…mishap.”

“Mishap?” I asked.

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