“Maybe. But at least I'll have tried.”
He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “Well, if you're determined to walk into the lion's den, I'm not going to stop you. But I don't have to like it.”
I reached for his hand, twining my fingers with his. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For understanding.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up in a wry smile. “Don't thank me yet, sweetheart. If you get yourself killed, I'm going to be very annoyed.”
Before I could respond, a sharp beep cut through the air—the alert from the warehouse's motion sensors. Levi was on his feet in an instant, his expression shifting from relaxed to alert in the blink of an eye.
“Stay here,” he said, moving toward the office where the magical door connected to his apartment.
“Not a chance,” I replied, following close behind him.
We slipped through the door, stepping into the main area of the warehouse. At first, I saw nothing but shadows and dust motes dancing in the beams of sunlight that filtered through the high windows. But then, a movement caught my eye—a figure emerging from behind a stack of crates.
“Ezekiel?” I called, relief washing over me.
The young angel stepped forward, his face drawn with exhaustion. “Sorry it took me so long.” His voice was hoarse, like he hadn't slept in days. “Things are intense up there.”
Levi gestured for him to come closer. “You look like hell, kid.”
“Thanks,” Ezekiel said dryly. He glanced between us, his brow furrowing slightly. “You look better, Ariella. Were you able to fix your magic?”
I nodded. “I'm okay now. What about you? What's happening in Elysium?”
Ezekiel ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “Rhodes and Haines are up to something big. They've been pulling guardians from their posts, bringing them to the castle—only the ones they trust completely.”
A cold weight settled in my stomach. “And the others?”
“There's an archangel who disappeared a day ago,” Ezekiel said, his voice dropping to just above a whisper. “Sabriel. He was outspoken about his concerns regarding Rhodes's leadership.”
“You think they killed him?” Levi asked bluntly.
Ezekiel nodded, his expression grim. “I can't prove it, but the timing is suspicious. And he's not the first to vanish after questioning Rhodes.”
I swallowed hard, trying to push back the surge of anger that rose in my chest. “What else?”
“I might have found a way for you to get into Elysium,” Ezekiel said, his voice lifting slightly. “There's a garden behind the castle—the Light Garden. The golden lilies that grow there, they're special.”
“Special how?” I asked, leaning forward.
“They're used to make an elixir,” he explained. “It grants other supernaturals the ability to cross the gates temporarily. It's only used for special events and meetings, and it hasn't been used in years, but it exists.”
Hope flickered to life inside me. “How did you find out about this?”
A ghost of a smile crossed Ezekiel's face. “I asked a high ranked professor. Tried to be casual about it—said I was studying the history of supernatural relations with Elysium for a class. He didn't suspect anything.”
“And you think you can get some of these lilies?” Levi asked, his tone skeptical.
Ezekiel nodded. “The garden isn't heavily guarded. It's mostly ceremonial these days. If I'm careful, I can sneak in and take what we need.”
I exchanged a glance with Levi, a plan already forming in my mind. “We have witches who could work with the lilies, make the elixir.”
“They wouldn’t know how to make the elixir,” Levi said, though I could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was already on board.