Page 67 of Wicked Angel
Adona's expression softened. “Kadriel, old friend. Your exile was a mistake—one of many I made in trusting Rhodes's counsel too readily. You and your followers are welcome to return to Elysium, with all rights and privileges restored.” She looked at me. “As are you, Ariella. Your name will be cleared, your service honored as it should have been from the beginning.”
I nodded, grateful but still too overwhelmed to fully process what this meant for my future. “Thank you.”
Adona straightened, her wings extending slightly in a subtle display of renewed authority. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I owe an explanation to all of Elysium.”
We followed her to the edge of the observatory balcony, where she could look down on the courtyard below. Angels had gathered there in the hundreds, looking up at the tower with confusion and fear written across their faces. The fighting had stopped, but tension still hung in the air like storm clouds.
Adona raised her hands, and her voice, amplified by magic, carried to every corner of the Celestial Tower and beyond. “Angels of Elysium, hear me. Today, we have faced a betrayal without precedent in our history. Archangels Rhodes and Ylena, whom many of you trusted and respected, plotted to overthrow me, to reshape our realm according to their own distorted vision.”
A murmur ran through the crowd, some angels nodding as if they had suspected as much, others looking shocked and disbelieving.
“They framed an innocent guardian, Ariella, for crimes she did not commit,” Adona continued. “They allied with demons, they murdered fellow angels, and today, they nearly succeeded in destroying everything we have built together over millennia.”
She gestured for me to step forward, and reluctantly, I did, feeling hundreds of eyes turn toward me. “This guardian, whom many of you were told was a traitor, has instead proven herself the truest protector Elysium could ask for. At great risk to herself, she returned to us with the truth, with allies willing to fight for our realm, and ultimately, with the means to save me from Rhodes's corruption.”
I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment as some angels in the crowd began to murmur my name, a few even raising their wings in a traditional salute of respect. This was the last thing I had expected or wanted—to be held up as some kind of hero.
“In the days to come,” Adona said, “we will begin the work of rebuilding—not just our physical structures, but the trust that has been damaged, the unity that has been fractured. This will not be easy, nor will it happen quickly. But I believe, with all my heart, that we will emerge stronger for having faced this trial together.”
She lowered her hands, and the magical amplification faded, her final words meant only for those of us standing closest to her. “Thank you, all of you. Elysium stands in your debt.”
Then, to my complete shock, Adona embraced me. The leader of Elysium, the most powerful angel in existence, pulled me into a hug as if I were family, as if I were worthy of such intimacy. For a moment, I stood frozen, too stunned to react. Then, slowly, I returned the embrace, feeling the tremors that still ran through her frame despite her show of strength.
“I meant what I said,” she whispered, her voice for my ears alone. “Elysium needs guardians like you—ones who remember what we truly stand for, even when others forget. Whatever you decide about your future, know that you will always have a place here.”
As she released me and turned to address the other archangels, I felt a strange mix of emotions wash over me—relief, exhaustion, a tentative hope for the future.
26
The days followingRhodes's defeat passed in a blur of meetings, healing, and reconstruction. I spent most of my time with my mother and Adriel, making up for five years of absence, sharing stories of my time on Earth and listening to their accounts of life in Elysium under Rhodes's growing influence.
Levi divided his time between staying close to me and helping coordinate our non-angelic allies' return to Earth. Some, like Farrah and Wyatt, had already gone back, with promises to return for what Adona was calling the “Renewal Ceremony.”
Others, including Lacey and Abbie, had remained in Elysium a bit longer, granted temporary permission through a limited supply of the golden lily elixir that Adona had secured from her private gardens.
Throughout it all, the question of my future hung over me like a cloud. Adona had made it clear that I was welcome to return to Elysium permanently, to resume my role as a guardian—perhaps even with greater responsibilities than before. But the thought of leaving Earth, of leaving the life I'd built there and the connections I'd made, filled me with a strange melancholy I couldn't quite shake.
And then there was Levi.
We hadn't discussed what would happen next, both of us carefully avoiding the topic as if by mutual agreement. But I caught him watching me sometimes, when he thought I wasn't looking, his expression thoughtful and a little sad.
On the morning of the ceremony, I stood on the balcony of the quarters I'd been given in the Celestial Tower, looking out over Elysium as the first light of day bathed the crystal spires in gold.
The city was still scarred from the battle—broken towers, damaged buildings, areas where the fighting had been most intense—but already, the healing had begun. Angels worked together to clear rubble and rebuild, their wings flashing in the sunlight as they carried materials from place to place.
A soft knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, turning from the balcony.
Lacey entered, looking beautiful in a flowing gown of deep blue that complemented her fair skin and dark hair. “Good morning,” she said, her smile warm. “I thought you might want some help getting ready.”
I gestured ruefully to the ceremonial gown laid out on my bed—a creation of pale gold and white that looked far more elaborate than anything I'd worn in years. “Is it that obvious that I'm out of my depth?”
She laughed, coming to stand beside me. “Maybe a little. But mostly, I just wanted to see you before everything gets crazy.”
I hugged her impulsively, grateful for her friendship, for her steadfast support throughout everything we'd faced together. “Thank you, Lacey. For all of it.”
“Oh, stop,” she said, though she hugged me back just as tightly. “You'd have done the same for me.” She pulled back, her expression turning more serious. “Have you decided? About staying?”
I sighed, turning back to the balcony. “No. Every time I think I have, I remember something else that pulls me in the opposite direction.”
