Page 31 of Wings of Strife
“Miss Hayliel, I’ve found it. I know what you are.”
15
Is this a dream?
I pinch myself, wincing a little when it hurts, but it does as intended. This is real. Castiel figured out why I’m different, but am I even ready to find out? What if everyone else was right all along and I truly am spawned by the very creatures who almost killed me?
I’m not sure I could handle that.
Subtly, my friends drift toward me, pushing a sense of calmness through our mental connection. I try to let it settle within me and shove the other thoughts away, the ones where they leave me when they find out I’m a monster.
Shit. Where the hell is my parents’ optimism when I need it?
“Do we really think it’s a good idea for everyone present to hear this?” Raphael asks before Castiel can unravel my history.He nods to Mira in a way that’s less subtle than if he’d just said her name.
As expected, Mira notices. “I’ve kept his secrets,yoursecrets. And besides, I gave you a rune to literally showcase who you can trust, which I walked through unharmed, I might add.”
Castiel’s eyes widen. “Ah, so you’re the reason there’s a banned rune etched near the door?”
“I am, though I’m starting to think it was a waste,” Mira mumbles.
“Not a waste, my dear. It’s precisely what’s needed. This runic symbol detects intended harm. Any being who crosses through an area marked by this rune will be judged. If they mean no ill will to those that created the mark, they are free to pass, which you saw from that blue glow when I walked in. But if they mean to harm you, the rune will glow a dark maroon and the perpetrator will be immobilized.”
I stare dumbfounded at Castiel. “Immobilized?”
He smiles. “Yes. Vines will sprout up around them, with thorns coated in a paralyzing substance that will wrap around the evil doer and keep them still until you can figure out what needs to be done.”
“Holy shit,” Dina says, the excitement at the prospect of taking down our foes so easily clear on her face.
“Indeed. When the Archangels took over, they banned that rune. They wanted to present a united front amongst the angels and have all of angel kind band together in peace.”
Peace. It feels like such a foreign concept, but it ignites a burning question in my gut. If the Archangels knew how bad the in-fighting is now, would they step in to stop it?
Startling me from my thoughts, Theo touches my arm. “Since the information Castiel has is about you, I think it’s only fair that you decide if Mira can stay to hear it.”
I study her, still not knowing the real reason she’s here, but unable to ignore what she’s done for us so far. Mira doesn’t balk at my perusal, only stands still. “She kept our secrets long before even knowing what they were. Besides, the rune marked her as safe. She can stay.”
“Thank you,” she says, lips tipping up slightly. “I won’t let you down.”
I don’t know what it is exactly, but I feel her truth in my bones.
Castiel claps his hands once. “Now that we have that settled, Miss Hayliel, are you ready?”
“I think so.” Nerves wrack my body, though I try to keep the fidgeting at bay. I’m about to find out what I’ve been searching my entire existence for, yet it’s not at all like I expected it to be. I always pictured discovering it alone, somewhere in a dimly lit library with only myself and my history. This is better. Surrounded by friends and the angels I love. WhileImay not be able to handle it if I’m truly spawned from demons, I’m slowly coming to realize that I don’t think my friends will care that much. And that is true, unconditional friendship.
With a clearing of his throat, Castiel begins. “I believe you’re what’s called a Seraphim. I suspected as much when your wings first changed, but I felt even more confident once I heard about your hot flashes—”
“Hot flashes?” Raphael asks, looking confused.
“—and about your miraculous survival against an angel blade.”
Mira’s mouth falls open. “Now wait a damn minute. You survived a blade? But I thought that was impossible …”
“Our Hayliel is full of surprises,” Theo adds, nudging me softly, but I can’t focus on anyone else's shock but my own.
The relief that flows through me is a tangible thing, surrounding me like a warm, cozy blanket. I almost can’t believe it. “I’m not spawned from demons,” I say, collapsing into one of the small chairs Raphael and I built earlier.
“Quite the opposite, actually,” Castiel reassures. “In terms of power, Seraphim are ranked above Archangels but below God. Because of how powerful they are, it’s rare to have more than one Seraphim alive at once. There’s only one instance of such a thing happening, and it changed the course of angelic history.”
