Page 66 of Wings of Strife
We land outside his house, an exact replica of the one my dad lives in, and Azrael unlocks the door. Once inside, he pulls out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. “Want one?”
I stare at him for a moment too long before realizing he’s serious. “Uh, no. Thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” He pours himself half a glass, downs it, and then fills it up again. In all the time I’ve known Azrael as my commanding officer and even before that as someone who worked with my dad, I’ve never seen him like this.
Suddenly, Hayliel’s panicked voice filters through my mind.Uriel pulled me from class early. He’s personally ensuring I don’t miss my detention.
Shit. Using my mental connection with Raphael and Theo, I fill them in.I’m stuck with Azrael right now. Can you make it to Hayliel? I’ll wrap things up here as quickly as possible.
On it. Raphael replies.
Theo follows that up with,Everything alright?
I think so. Will update once I know more.
“So, Zeke, why don’t you sit?” Azrael’s voice startles me from my mental conversation. It takes a moment for his words to register, and then I’m just pissed.
“Your summons insinuated that this was important, so why the hell are we playing tea time at your house, Azrael?”
I swear, from the look he’s giving me, I must have punched him in the face. He lets out a long breath, but my mind is filled once more with Hayliel’s voice that I can’t concentrate on Azrael anymore.
Get Castiel. Uriel isn’t taking me to his office. I’m in the—
My back straightens as all the blood in my veins turns to ice. I have to go. I need to get my girl away from that fucking piece of shit, then make sure he never goes near her again. I’m about to turn when Azrael’s words have me halting in my tracks.
“You’ve been pestering me for information for weeks. If you want to know what I’ve learned, then get comfortable and listen.”
I’m so fucking torn about what to do. My heart tells me to fly as fast as I can to help Hayliel, but my head tells me to stay here and let Raphael and Theo handle it. A few months ago, I’d never have left anything to them. My ego and pride wouldn’t allow it, but now … now I realize I don’t always have to be the knight in feathered armor.
As if he knows my dilemma, Theo’s voice echoes in my head.We’ve got Castiel and we’re on our way to her now. Will update soon.
Thank fuck. I drop instantly onto the sofa, causing Azrael to chuckle. He thinks it’s about what he’s just said, but really, it’s relief at knowing Hayliel is protected, and always will be in my absence. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m learning that sometimes it’s okay to rely on others. Necessary, even. Raphael and Theo have proven themselves worthy of Hayliel, and as much as I might have hated it at first, I know they’ll keep her safe and keep me in the loop. What more can I ask for?
“I’ll start by apologizing,” Azrael says, pulling my focus back. “I know you hated that I didn’t loop you in, and I hope you know I took no joy from it either, but at the time, I felt it was necessary.”
I understand what he means. I’ve kept so much from him too, but I say nothing. It wouldn’t help anything if I were to shout what I was actually thinking. I am not the enemy. Maybe we both need to learn to trust each other more. Shrugging, I ask, “And now?”
“What I’ve discovered has grown into something bigger than just myself, but I’m not ready to let the rest of the guild in yet.”
“Why not?”
“Well, for starters, I want to see what you think. This tip originated with you and the friend who wanted to be anonymous. Once I bring this up officially, they may not be able to stay anonymous.”
Damn. I didn’t even think about that. Having Hayliel’s identity revealed won’t do us any favors. “I’m all ears,” I tell him.
“After going through the deceased’s belongings, I recovered a deleted message from his slate that mentioned a name. Roderick. This led me down a rabbit hole about a Fallen angel who’s built quite the reputation as a man for hire. He and his crew will work for anyone, as long as the cause piques his interest and the coin pads his pockets. From what I can tell, your dead angel was working for him. I haven’t been able to uncover who Roderick’s working for now, but I’m hoping you’ll know something. Otherwise, I doubt it’ll take long to figure out once we make this investigation official.”
I watch Azrael for several minutes. He did exactly what I hoped he would when I brought him news of the body. He found Roderick. But does that mean I can trust him? I want to. Just like my father, he’s done nothing to make me think otherwise. “You can’t.”
Azrael looks at me like I’ve lost my marbles. “What do you mean?”
Taking a deep breath, I say, “You can’t make this official with the guild. Everything you just told me, I already know.”
“Ezekiel Oren, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?”
I ignore his more than valid question. “Roderick is the one who killed that angel, using an angel blade he got from his current employer.”
“How do you know this?”
