Page 65 of Wings of Torment
The idea is uncomfortable. He’s treated her poorly since the beginning. Making nice with me won’t absolve him of any of that. It’s her he should be focusing on, even though I’d rather he didn’t. Hayliel is the type of angel that must be protected at all costs. She’s kind and brave, selfless at times even when she shouldn’t be, and I don’t trust him not to hurt her again.
I only wish I knew what it was she wanted. It’s obvious that it bothers her when he brushes her off, but is it more than that? As much as I don’t want her to feel anything for the heartless Fallen beside me, I can’t deny that it’s a possibility.
Dammit. It won’t do me any good to sulk or ponder the unknown right now. Not with so many things already on my plate, so I shove it all aside and throw everything into the book in front of me.
I don’t know how much time passes before there’s a knock on the door. Ezekiel and I share a look that makes me wonder if he’s thinking the same thing as I am. Is it Hayliel? She messaged the group chat earlier and both our slates had gone off with the notification. It’s going to be a while before I’m comfortable with the fact that he’s in there. She and Theo were on their way to the beach and wanted to let thegroupknow in case we wanted to join them. I sure as fuck did, but it’s not like I could ditch Ezekiel now. Even if I did, he’d probably just show up, too. Maybe she and Theo brought the food to us instead of to the beach.
At this point, I’ll take anyone I can get as long as they can help dispel this weirdness floating around in my room with only the two of us in here.
Except when I open the door, it’s not Hayliel or Theo that greets me on the other side. In fact, it might just be the only person I’d rather spend time with less than Zeke. Standing there in all his polished glory is Raduriel.
“Little brother!” he says before pulling me into a hug. Despite my mother always pointing out our differences, we have similar coloring and could even pass for twins, if we tried. Not that I’d ever want to. He doesn’t wait for me to invite him inside, just brushes past me. That’s when I notice that he’s not alone. Another angel follows behind my brother, his reddish-brown hair cut short on the sides and standing tall on the top. The two of them enter my room without even a second thought.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him, shutting my door and trying to school my expression. When I’m sure I’ve got it under control, I turn around to face them. Raduriel is looking at the photos I have on my dresser, and the other angel — I think his name is Briathos. Some hotshot from the Guild, if I recall — leans against the wall. I wonder what my brother is using him for. It’s not like he’d everchooseto spend time with a Fallen.
“I’m on campus for business. Apparently, your principal wants to see me. The last time that happened, I received an award and honorary title. Honestly, I’ve received so many that I kind of forget what they all are, but anyway. I couldn’t step on school grounds without checking on my younger brother.”
Bullshit. He absolutely could have come to SCU and not visited me at all. I’d have preferred it that way. But if he’d done that, who would he brag to?
“How come you’re in here all alone? Mom said you were struggling here, but surely you’ve made some friends you could hang out with?”
Ezekiel chooses that very moment to clear his throat. All eyes turn to him as he nods.
“Interesting,” Raduriel states, looking between the two of us.
Great. Just fucking great. Who knows what story he’ll weave when he reports back to Mom and Dad.
Briathos perks up. “Damn, Zeke. Is that you? You’re all grown up now.”
“Getting there,” he replies with a smile. “It’s been a while. Are you still working on assignment?”
“Got back last week. I have some downtime, so I’m catching up with old friends. Decided to tag along with Rad here and check out my old stomping grounds. It’s great to see you, man.”
“You two know each other?” Raduriel asks.
“From the Guild. His dad is a legend,” Briathos responds, and I immediately know what’s coming next.
Raduriel’s eyes light up as he says, “Oh shit, really? Who’s your dad?” But I’ve had enough. I have more important things to do than sit here while my brother decides if my friends are worth his time, solely based on their pedigree. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Raduriel tried to worm his way in and steal Zeke’s friendship.
Fucking hell. Has it really come to that? Earlier, I’d been dreading this time with Ezekiel and begging for someone to come save me from it. Now, I’m calling him my friend and worrying about whether he’ll prefer my brother over me. It’s pathetic.
“Look, who his father is doesn’t really matter. I appreciate you stopping by, but we’re in the middle of something. It might be hard for you and Mom to believe, but I actually have my own shit going on.” I regret the words immediately. Outbursts like that are a thing of the past for me. I gave them up a long time ago when I realized it only created fodder for my parents to use against me.Their emotional boy.
Raduriel’s smile falls slightly, but he’s quick to pick it up. He’s probably happy that I fucked up.
“Of course.” He looks at his watch. “We’ve got to get going, anyway. Excellence doesn’t wait.”
“Right,” I say, heading toward the door to open it, mocking “Excellence doesn’t wait,” under my breath.
“Well, it was nice to meet you, Zeke,” Raduriel calls to Zeke, who replies with a similar nicety — something I don’t think I’ve ever gotten from him.
In the doorway, my brother and I stand in awkward silence for a moment. It feels like there’s so much more I should say, but I can’t get the words to pass my lips. Sometimes, when I sit and daydream, I imagine having a brother who supports me. One where everything isn’t a competition, and it’s us against our parents. But that’s only the sad little dream of a sad little boy.
“You know I’m here for you, don’t you, Raphael?”
Even though it’s a lie, I nod. The smile I give him is strained, but I push on. “Thanks for stopping by,” I say before shutting the door.
When they’re finally gone, I slump against the door and wish Ezekiel hadn’t witnessed that. Hayliel and Theo, or hell, evenDina I’d have been fine with. But not Zeke. He has enough issues with me as it is. This will only add fuel to an already raging fire, and I just can’t handle any more.
