Page 76 of Wings of Strife
“No. I’m not finished.” My hands threaten to tremble, so I fist them until I feel my nails press into flesh. “You treat Raphael like he’s less than everyone else when, in fact, it’s the opposite. Your youngest son has a brilliant, sharp mind. He’s caring and funny, and one of the best angels I’ve ever met. It’s a pity you can’t see past your own nose to witness it. And I’m sad to see the rest of you aren’t any better, either. I never really understood why he avoided coming home, but after sitting through just one dinner with you, I get it now. If I were your child, I’d avoid you too.”
I stalk from the room, not bothering to wait for a response. From the corner of my eye, I see Raph say something to his brother, but I’m shaking with a surplus of emotions and can’t focus enough to hear what he says.
Shit.
I hope I didn’t just make things worse for him with his family, but fucking hell. Someone needed to say something. And if Raphael’s father and brother were too chickenshit to do so, then I am more than happy to speak up. Every. Damn. Time.
Raph catches up to me, tugging me along and pulling me into a room so fast, I don’t even have a chance to see where we are before his mouth descends on mine. The kiss is different from any we’ve shared before now. Those were demanding and all-consuming, but this one, something about it makes me want to cry.
He holds my face in his hands, his lips caressing mine tenderly.
Love.
That’s what I feel in this kiss.
His utter devotion.
After a few minutes, he pulls away, letting his forehead rest against mine as he stares into my eyes. Into my very soul. “Thank you,” he whispers, running his thumb over my cheek.
“I meant every word,” I tell him, needing him to know that I’m on his side. I need him to believe that he’s not the disappointment his family treats him like.
He kisses me once more before slowly backing away. When my senses finally return, I realize where he brought me.
A library.
My jaw hangs open as I gaze around the room, taking in the shelves and ornate spiral staircase in the center of it all. If I grew up with something like this, I’d never leave the house. Though, I guess if I shared that same house with a mother like Karena and a mentally checked out father like Andras, then maybe even this library wouldn’t be enough to keep me here.
Raph pulls a key out from his pocket and points toward an empty cabinet. “That’s where I found Isaac’s journal. It looks empty, but that’s only a ruse.”
He unlocks the door, revealing the hidden contents inside. We pull everything out, cataloging what we find in case it’s helpful. And as much as I’d like to take all of these books with us, we don’t want whoever is clearly trying to hide them to know we’ve discovered them.
I’m flipping through the last book when a piece of paper falls out and flutters to the floor.
My gaze flicks to Raphael’s before we both crouch to pick it up. The paper is faded, creased in places, but there’s no denying I’ve seen this exact shade of beige before.
It’s a missing piece of Isaac Adam’s journal.
33
Istare at the torn paper in Hayliel’s hand, wondering if it’s too much to hope that whatever’s written on this page makes sense and isn’t just nonsensical jargon. It would be a miracle, given the state of that damn journal, but I reckon we’re overdue on miracles. It’s time for something to go our way.
She turns it over, giving us the first glimpse of text.
Can it really be?
Pulling out my slate, I bring up the photo I’d taken of the missing entry. When I first took it, I was worried it was a bad idea. If this got into the wrong hands … even if there are no true answers in the photo, it brings light to enough things that we’d rather stay in the dark. Right now, though? Now I’m grateful for the foresight.
We hold up the paper, trying to place it where the torn edges are. Even with all the words now in front of us, it takes effort to read the shredded, worn paper.
I finally did it.
After months of trying, I met with the Seraphim twins. Ingrid and Octavius.
From the articles, I would have sworn they looked alike, but seeing them up close, it’s easy to spot the differences. It’s also easy to feel just how powerful they truly are. It’s almost hard to stomach. Having been raised in squalor, I expected them to be different. Harder. With sharper edges. But they were kinder than most of my own family members.
I didn’t mean to learn their secret. It was purely by accident. But I vowed to them upon my life that I would take it with me to the grave.
The information below could change everything if it winds up in the wrong hands.
