Page 3 of Wings of Torment
I consider lying, telling him it didn’t happen. If it were anyone else, I probably would, but Gagiel has been nothing but kind to me, and oddly, I trust him.
“We don’t know, actually. But if you could keep what you saw to yourself for now, I’d really appreciate it. There’s a lot to figure out first.” I glance around, glad to find that no one is payingmuch attention to us here. Healers focus on tending to the wounded while university staff snap photos of the damage.
“I get it. I won’t say a word, but I just wanted to let you know I think you’re amazing. Even before all of this”—he waves a hand through the air—“thanks to you, my friends are coming back to campus after the Archangels’ Feast in a few weeks. Well, if this whole attack thing doesn’t scare them off.”
“Oh, that’s great! I can’t wait to meet them.” Something settles in my throat, making it hard to swallow.
He pauses for a moment, then wraps his arms around me in a quick hug. “I’m really glad you’re alright.” It barely lasts a second before he takes off, leaving me dumbfounded.
What did I do to deserve his kindness? How can he be so confident in someone like me, especially now that I’m an even bigger freak?
Raphael touches my shoulder, jolting me out of my self-pity party and reminding me where I am. Surrounded by pain and destruction.
How many angels were harmed in this attack? And how long will it take for Silver City University to recoup from the destruction?
“In all our research, does anyone remember reading about gold wings?” Raph asks, unperturbed by the scene around us.
I shake my head and fall deeper into my despair. We had a hard enough time finding anything helpful about my gray wings. What are the chances we’ll find something now?
“That’s why we’re going to the principal. Maybe he can help,” Dina replies hopefully.
“Maybe.” I hope the words come out in a far sunnier tone than my current disposition. As much as I try to adopt the optimism my parents showered me with as a child, I can’t seem to muster any up. And as we approach the broken white doors of the mainhall, I can’t stop the swirling in my gut that tells me, for the second time in so few months, everything is going to change.
2
Somehow, there’s no damage inside the main hall. In fact, the only real evidence of an attack at all is the broken front doors and a few drops of blood splattered on the floor.
We head left toward the principal’s office, but find it empty, and the receptionist is gone as well.
“Did anyone see him during the attack?” Dina asks, but everyone shakes their head.
Dread settles in my gut as we turn to leave. Was he hurt? Did he even show up and attempt to protect the school he runs, or did he hide away and leave us to fend for ourselves? I didn’t really get that vibe from him, but my thoughts are a mess right now, and as much as I want to believe he wouldn’t do that, I can’t. I learned enough about myself today to make me realize I don’t even know whoIam, so how can I possibly know anyone else?
Before we get too far from his office, the principal exits a classroom with a group of healers in tow. He looks more disheveled than I’ve ever seen him. “There you are! I was informed you’d come this way, but I feared I would be too late.”
“Too late for what?”
“Come, come. Whatever it is you’re doing will have to wait until you receive a clean bill of health.”
“Actually, Principal Cael, we were hoping to speak with you,” Dina tells him as we approach.
“Very well, but see the healers first. That’s an order.” He steps away almost immediately and doesn’t hear my objection. I feel fine, and I’d really rather not be under a microscope right now. Instead of arguing that point, though, I follow my friends and the healers into the classroom where they have their supplies set up.
One healer directs Theo to sit on the desk, questioning him on where the blood came from and if he’s feeling woozy before he explains it isn’t his. Another healer pulls me aside and directs me to a seat of my own.
“There’s no need to look me over, really. I feel fine, and the few cuts and bruises I have aren’t bothering me. You should focus on someone else.”
It appears I’ve gotten saddled with the most stubborn nurse imaginable because she barely acknowledges my words and taps the desk.
Her face settles into something like awe when I finally take a seat. “Aren’t you the angel who single-handedly defeated those nasty demons? And did so in a way that no one here has seen before, might I add?” I can only stare at her in disbelief, but the look on my face must be enough confirmation because she continues. “Precisely. So I apologize, Miss Hayliel, but you are most certainly getting looked at.”
She focuses on my cut thigh first, but because of our angelic healing, it’s barely a scratch. After a thorough search, she asks if I feel any pain and when I tell her no, she almost lets me leave.
“Your hand is swollen,” she says, picking it up and putting light pressure over the puffy, red area.
I wince. “Yeah. I was weaponless, so these had to do. Unfortunately, no one tells us how hard their fucking skulls are.”
“I have a feeling there will be some new contingencies in place so this doesn’t happen again, but you should all be proud of the way you handled things today. We were lucky they didn’t carry anything that could permanently harm us. As for your hand, nothing’s broken, only bruised. If this doesn’t feel better in a few days, come to the infirmary, alright?”
