Page 30 of Wicked Angel
My interest piqued. “What did you find?”
Keeran gestured to the makeshift seating area we'd set up for when I was staying in the warehouse. “Mind if we sit? It's a bit of a story.”
We settled onto the chaise lounges, and Keeran passed a hand over the crates that had served as tables between us. A shimmering map appeared, hovering in the air—a detailed projection of what looked like a rural area, with small clusters of buildings surrounded by vast stretches of forest and farmland.
“What are we looking at?” I asked, leaning forward to study the map.
“Pinewood Valley,” Keeran said. “A small town about three hours north of here. Population barely four hundred, mostly human. But it's known in certain circles as a sanctuary for hidden supernaturals.”
Levi's brow furrowed. “What kind of hidden supernaturals?”
“The usual mix,” Almae said. “A handful of witches who prefer isolation, a couple of shifters, a few vampires who've settled down to live quiet lives away from the politics of the covens.” She paused, her eyes meeting mine. “And, apparently, angels.”
My head snapped up. “Angels? On Earth? Not just visitors, but living here?”
Keeran nodded. “A group calling themselves the Lost Legion. Led by an exiled archangel, from what our sources could gather. Very secretive. When one of my scouts tried to make contact, they were warned—rather forcefully—to stay away.”
My mind raced with possibilities. Angels who lived on Earth, separate from Elysium. Angels who might know alternative ways in and out of the realm. Angels who might be willing to fight against Rhodes, if they had already been exiled.
“How did you find them?” Levi asked, a note of skepticism in his voice.
“Pure chance,” Keeran admitted. “We've had scouts all over, looking for traces of Sarki and gathering any information on angelic activity. Two of them spotted a pair of angels in Pinewood Valley, running what looked like errands. They tried to approach them, but the angels vanished before they could make contact.”
“Later,” Almae continued, “one of them overheard a conversation at a local diner. A witch mentioned the 'winged ones' who occasionally come to town for supplies. According to her, they keep to themselves, living somewhere deep in the surrounding forest, but they're known to help the town's supernatural residents when needed.”
I stood, unable to contain my restless energy. “We need to find them. They could be valuable allies, especially now that we're short on the elixir. They wouldn't need it to enter Elysium—they could just cross the gates like any other angel.”
“Assuming they want to help,” Levi pointed out. “If they've been exiled, they might have their own reasons to stay away from Elysium.”
“Or their own reasons to want to bring Rhodes down,” I countered. “We won't know until we talk to them.”
Keeran nodded slowly. “That's why we came to you. My scouts have been watching the town for days, but there's been no sign of the angels returning. We thought maybe you, as an angel yourself, might have better luck finding them or convincing them to help.”
I exchanged a glance with Levi, and saw the resignation already settling on his face. He knew as well as I did that this was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“When do we leave?” I asked, turning back to Keeran.
“As soon as you're ready,” he said. “I can open a portal for you right now.”
Levi stood, stretching his tall frame with a casual grace that belied the tension I could feel radiating from him. “I'll get some supplies.”
As he moved toward the adjacent office, I turned to Almae. “Any other details we should know about these angels? Anything that might help us find them or convince them to join us?”
The old witch's eyes clouded with uncertainty. “Very little, I'm afraid. The people of Pinewood Valley are protective of their secrets. All we know is that the Lost Legion has been there for years, possibly decades. They rarely interact with outsiders, and they seem to have some kind of arrangement with the town.”
“What kind of arrangement?”
“Protection,” Keeran said. “The town has remarkably few supernatural incidents for a place with so many hidden residents. The locals attribute this to the 'guardian spirits' who watch over them.”
“Angels acting as guardians,” I murmured, a wistful smile tugging at my lips. “Just like it used to be, before everything got so complicated.”
Almae reached out, her weathered hand covering mine. “Be careful, Ariella. Exiled supernaturals can be unpredictable. Whatever drove them from Elysium might have left scars. Don't expect them to welcome you with open arms.”
“I won't,” I promised, though hope still fluttered in my chest like a trapped bird. “But I have to try. If they can help us stop Rhodes, it's worth the risk.”
Levi returned, a sleek black duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “Ready, sweetheart?”
I nodded, drawing strength from his steady presence. “Let's go find some angels.”
