Page 6 of Wicked Angel
Ezekiel’s expression hardened, his gaze flicking toward the shadows of the warehouse, as if checking for eavesdroppers. “I’m in Guardian Academy, top of my class. My mentor is Haines, one of Rhodes’s most trusted archangels. Through him, I learned that most angels are divided, more than ever before. Some of them agree with Rhodes—that humans and other supernaturals are beneath us, that angels shouldn’t be their guardians.”
His words sank in slowly, cold dread pooling in my stomach. “And the others?”
“Some still believe in Adona’s teachings, but they’re afraid. Rhodes and his allies have power, influence. It’s dangerous to speak against them.”
“So far that proves nothing.”
“I overheard a conversation between Rhodes and Haines,” he continued. “They were talking about a special dagger, that it was finally with them. They said they could move the final pieces of their plan—that soon, Adona would be gone, and Elysium would be shaped to their liking.”
A sharp gasp escaped me, and my hands flew to my mouth. “No,” I muttered. They wanted to weaken Adona with the Scarlet Hex Dagger and then kill her. I knew it. I knew they were planning something like this.
“They also said something about silencing you before it was too late.” Ezekiel shook his head once. “I don’t know what the dagger does, what their plan is exactly, but something told me I had to find you. Afterward, I tried asking Haines about you, pretending to hate you as much as they do. I wanted to see if he would tell me something useful.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure he said some nice things.” I sounded more bitter than I intended.
Ezekiel winced. “Yeah, he said the same thing they always do. That you are dangerous, that you’d betrayed all of us. But again, I knew it couldn’t be true, especially after hearing they needed to silence you. I remembered you, Ariella. How you treated your sister Adriel, how you always tried to help people, how dedicated you were at the academy. I couldn’t believe you’d turn into a monster overnight.” One corner of his lips curled up. “You know, when I still tried to talk about this with Adriel, she would tell me that if she had to think about someone in your family becoming a monster, it would be her, not you. Never you.”
Something in my chest twisted painfully at his words. It had been so long since I’d seen Adriel, so long since I’d even let myself think about her. “What about her?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “How’s Adriel holding up?”
Ezekiel’s face softened. “She’s strong, like you. But she’s upset, hurt, bitter. It’s hard to stand up straight when everyone points at her and your mother as if they had nurtured a traitor.” His shoulders sagged. “And it’s hard to go against the lies when it’s all you hear. At some point, the lies become all you know.”
Shit. I looked away, blinking back the burn in my eyes. I couldn’t afford to think about that now. Not with so much at stake. I had to focus on the bigger picture—the dagger, Adona, stopping Rhodes before he could destroy everything I’d ever believed in.
Levi’s voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and edged with skepticism. “And you just expect us to believe you, kid? You show up out of nowhere, spinning this story, and we’re supposed to trust you?”
The three of us glanced to the side. Levi emerged from one of the Hall’s portals. It closed behind him the moment he stepped out.
Ezekiel flinched under Levi’s scrutiny, but he squared his shoulders, meeting the demon’s gaze. “And who are you?”
“He’s …” I swallowed my words. My partner? My lover? My companion?
“I’m Ariella’s mate,” Levi said as he came to stand beside me, tall and regal as usual.
Ezekiel’s eyes widened for a moment, but he recovered fast and continued, “I don’t expect you to trust me. I just want you to give me a chance to prove myself. I’m willing to go back, to be your eyes and ears in Elysium, Ariella. You need someone who can get close to Rhodes, someone who can pass information back to you.”
Levi narrowed his eyes. “That’s a dangerous offer, kid. You sure you’re ready for the fallout if you get caught?”
Ezekiel’s face tightened with determination. “I don’t care about the risk. I care about making things right. I care about Adriel and I care about stopping Rhodes before it’s too late.”
I studied Ezekiel’s face, searching for any hint of deception. But all I saw was a young angel, scared but determined, desperate to do the right thing in a world that had turned upside down. And I knew, in that moment, that he wasn’t lying.
I took a deep breath, forcing down the fear that curled in my gut. “Okay,” I said, glancing between Levi and Aspen. “We let him help us. But we don’t trust him blindly, and we don’t take unnecessary risks.”
Levi’s jaw tightened, but he gave a sharp nod. “Fair enough.”
Ezekiel’s shoulders sagged with relief, and for a moment, he looked like the boy I used to see hanging around Adriel, tagging along with my sister like a shadow. “Thank you, Ariella. I won’t let you down.”
I managed a small, strained smile, but the weight of his words settled heavily in my chest. There was no turning back now, no time to second-guess our decisions. We had a chance—one slim, dangerous chance—to stop Rhodes before he could turn Elysium into a nightmare.
4
I paced aroundthe edge of the containment circle, my boots scuffing against the concrete floor. The warehouse was quiet that evening and it was a relief, almost, to have the space to myself for once. No one watching me with thinly veiled concern, no whispered conversations between Lacey and Abbie, trying to find a solution that never seemed to come.
Not that I didn’t appreciate their efforts. But sometimes, their hovering felt like a chain around my neck, pulling tight with every passing second that I spent stuck in this circle. It made me feel like a caged animal, pacing back and forth with nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait.
Wait for my magic to settle.
Wait for a plan.
