Page 51 of Wicked Angel
I nodded, grateful for his presence. “Thank you for coming.”
“The commander believes in you,” Tarek said simply. “That's enough for us.”
His words warmed me, a reminder that despite everything that had happened, despite the betrayals and the losses, I wasn't alone in this fight. I had allies—powerful ones—who were willing to risk everything to help me save Elysium.
“Everyone's here,” Lacey called, drawing our attention to the center of the room. “We should get started.”
We gathered around the table, a circle of determined faces above the spread of maps and diagrams. Lacey took the lead, her expression serious but confident.
“Rhodes has made his move,” she began, gesturing to the phone where I'd shown her his message. “He wants Ariella in Elysium tomorrow at dawn, alone. Obviously, that's not happening.”
Murmurs of agreement rumbled through the group.
“We have two primary objectives,” Lacey continued. “First, stop Rhodes before he can use the dagger on Adona. Second, rescue Ariella's family and Ezekiel.”
“Have you figured out how we’re supposed to get into Elysium?” Rey asked, his arms folded across his chest.
Abbie held up one of the vials with golden liquid. “That's where these come in. Thanks to Ezekiel's lilies and Commander Kadriel's knowledge, we managed to create the elixir that will allow non-angels to cross into Elysium.”
“And we have more than we hoped for,” Lacey added. “Enough for everyone here.”
“That's the first part,” I said, taking over. “Getting in. But we need to be invisible once we're there. Rhodes will be expecting me to bring backup, regardless of his warnings. He'll have guards posted, watching for any sign of intrusion.”
“Which is why we've been working on this,” Lacey said, producing another set of vials—these filled with a clear, shimmering liquid. “Invisibility potion. Lavinia shared the recipe with us. It won't make us completely undetectable, but it'll make us hard to spot, especially if the angels aren't specifically looking for us.”
“How long does it last?” Farrah asked, taking one of the vials and examining it with a practiced eye.
“A couple of hours, give or take,” Abbie answered. “So timing will be crucial.”
I leaned over the map, focusing on the central square where Rhodes had instructed me to meet him. “I'll enter through the main gate, alone as requested. The rest of you will come in behind me and split into teams, taking different paths toward the central square, staying invisible until we're ready to act.”
“And when will that be?” Wyatt asked.
“Once I have eyes on my family and Ezekiel,” I said. “And once we've confirmed where Rhodes is keeping the dagger. We can't move until we know both.”
“We'll need to neutralize Rhodes quickly,” Tarek said, his voice grim. “He's powerful, and he'll have his most loyal followers with him.”
“We might have something,” Abbie said. We all looked at her. “While both potions were brewing, Lacey and I worked on a binding spell specifically designed for archangels. If we can catch him off guard, we can immobilize him long enough to take the dagger.”
“And what about Adona?” Erin asked. “Where does she fit into all this?”
“Kadriel believes she's being held in the Celestial Tower,” Tarek explained, pointing to a structure on the map. “Heavily guarded, but not impossible to reach if we create enough of a distraction elsewhere.”
For the next hour, we refined the plan, assigning teams and mapping routes through Elysium. It wasn't perfect—there were too many variables, too many ways it could go wrong—but it was the best we could do with the time and resources we had.
“Remember,” I said as we began to wrap up, “Rhodes is expecting a trap. He'll be prepared for almost anything. Our advantage is numbers and surprise. Once we lose either of those, the odds shift dramatically against us.”
“We understand the risks,” Rey said, his expression solemn.
I looked around the circle of faces—angels, demons, witches, shifters, hunters—all united by a common purpose. It was humbling, the trust they were placing in me, in this plan.
“Get some rest,” I urged them. “Tomorrow will test all of us. We meet back here at five AM, two hours before dawn in Elysium.”
The group dispersed slowly, breaking into smaller conversations as they made final preparations. I found myself drawn to the window, staring out at the darkening sky as the enormity of what we were about to attempt settled over me.
Levi joined me after a while, his presence a comforting warmth at my side. “Penny for your thoughts, sweetheart?”
“They're worth less than that right now,” I admitted with a small smile. “I'm just hoping we're doing the right thing. Putting all these people at risk.”
