Page 29 of Wings of Strife
“So, what are we all doing here, exactly?” Mira asks.
Raph laughs. “You mean you don’t know?”
She shrugs. “Mr. Secrets over there wouldn’t even invite me unless I threatened him,” she pouts, “so no. I don’t know shit.”
Theo places a hand on Raphael’s shoulder, a not-so-subtle nudge to keep his cool. “Can’t really blame us for keeping the cards close to our chest then, if you’re going around threatening angels, can you?”
Leave it to Theo to tell it like it is. He has a way of airing out all the bullshit and getting straight to the point, all the while seeming to have a perfectly normal conversation. It’s a talent I wish I had.
“No, but I didn’t snitch when I caught Ezekiel waltzing around near the file room, and I just walked through that entrance without becoming paralyzed. I figured that was proof enough for you to trust that I’m not a threat.”
Paralyzed? Is that what the rune will do to someone with ill intentions? Shit. Maybe I should put one of them at my parents’ house. Eventually, we’ll need definitive answers as to what exactly it is that rune does, but for now, we have a choice to make.
Everyone turns to me, and I feel a soft whisper against the bond with my friends, but I don’t allow it to connect fully. I already know what they’re going to ask. How do I feel about letting Mira in on our plans? But it’s a tricky question. There’s something about Mira that reminds me of my friendship with Dina. That she clued in onsomethingbetween me and the guys, and even offered reassurances of her lack of interest, had done far more in the trust department than I’d care to admit.
She could have easily gone to Zeke’s superiors or even her father and told them all about the suspicious shit she’d caught him doing. Our plans would have been royally fucked if she had. And while I know that most angels don’t do favors for strangers without wanting something in return, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m grateful she kept her mouth shut.
I think about everyone I’ve trusted so far. Raph, Theo, Zeke … Gagiel and his friends, and even Castiel, though that was still a work in progress. So far, none of those angels have betrayed me. Maybe trusting my gut isn’t such a bad idea.
I make eye contact with Raph and shrug, hoping the others will understand my gesture.
“We’re here because of me,” I tell Mira, realizing I didn’t exactly have a plan for what I was going to say.
Fuck.
My words spark her interest, but she doesn’t rush me. She gives me space to find my words, and damn, if it isn’t refreshing. “A little while ago, my wings randomly transformed. We’ve been researching to find out what the hell happened, but that’s led us down a dangerous path with secrets, lies, and demons. Nowwe’re trying to figure out what they’re planning so we can save the city before it’s too late.”
There. I think that’s enough information to give her the gist without us being here for hours while I go over every detail. If it also gives us a bit more time to get to know her better, well, that’s just icing.
Her smile grows even wider. “No shit! That’s cool as hell. How can I help?”
I stare at her, positive that I must have heard her incorrectly, but she says nothing more. Only stands there looking like she’d hit the jackpot. That’s it? No further probing or demanding of answers, just a willingness to help? Huh. I definitely didn’t see that coming.
The rest of us share a look, but it’s Dina who strides toward Mira. “Come with me.” She squeezes my hand as she walks past, then to Mira she adds, “You fix the wards and I’ll fill in some gaps about our situation.”
14
Dina leads Mira outside the cave, chattering on about why we selected the wards we did and the issues we’ve had to make them work. Soon they’re too far away for me to keep eavesdropping.
Well, Mira hasn’t completely ruined everything, so that’s something, I guess. Though I know the others aren’t very pleased with me. It’s not like I wasn’t careful. That girl was just snooping around all the damn time. How was I supposed to know she’d keep following me?
Hayliel and Raphael open the large boxes in the corner. One contains a small table and chair set which they begin putting together. The more I look at it, the more familiar it becomes. Is that the same set they have in the Power house library? His family is rich, so it really shouldn’t surprise me. They open thesecond box, which Ithinkholds a bunch of bean bag chairs? I don’t see any beans though, just an excited Hayliel at whatever’s inside.
That they haven’t badgered me with their disappointment hasn’t gone unnoticed. Raphael wanted to wring my neck earlier, so I don’t doubt that it’s coming. Everyone might be putting on a calm, cool, and collected act, but that won’t last forever.
Sure, I’ve gotten a few looks, but nothing close to what I expected to happen.
Banishment, maybe. Booted from the group of angels I never wanted to work with yet now can’t imagine being parted from. I hate it.
Even still, it’s hard being in the same room as them. Hayliel and her boyfriends. She seems completely unperturbed by Mira’s presence, laughing at something Raphael said. I guess I should be happy about that. It’s not like I want her upset. I just thought we’d finally gotten to a good place, one that could develop into more than just friends. Playing her boyfriend clearly made me delusional.
After what I witnessed in the training room, the way she looked straight into my fucking eyes while getting railed bythemand didn’t say a single fucking word, it’s clear as fucking day. She doesn’t want me. Maybe she never has.
What did you expect? A fucking invitation? She prefers Pures, dude.
I do my best to ignore my bitter inner voice. Raphael and Theo are more than just Pures. I realize that now. But I’m only a man wallowing in his pain. It’s easier to think of them as monsters than admit I’ve been the problem all along. The only one to blame for her lack of interest is me.
I look away from the happy, laughing pair and straight into Theo’s watchful gaze. Shit. How long has he been there?
