Page 48 of Wings of Valor
Mira’s lucked out at the guild, though she confirmed there’s a strange vibe there, not that we can do anything with a vibe check. Dina is back at school but her father continues to track her movements. Most of her communication happens through Mira, who passed along a devastating piece of news. Uriel is back, teaching as if he isn’t consorting with the enemy.
It pisses me off.
The only one of us who’s truly succeeded in their goal is Hayliel. She’s imbued an impressive number of blades—more than half of the entire supply at the sanctuary. I’ve watched her every chance I’ve had. The way she imbues so effortlessly boggles my mind. Every day, she grows more and more into her abilities. She’s used this time to test out her endurance and find out just how much power she can use before it’s depleted.
It’s safe to say my sunshine has one hell of a deep well.
Would be nice if she could fucking use it on more than just weapons. Instead, we sit around while angels talk and stew. Half the time they don’t even let us in the council room. Remiel, Mikhael, and Shubael have all apologized, spouting some political bullshit for why we aren’t allowed to join.
We’re all at our wits end.
At least we have an in with Azrael and Kirach, but they aren’t always in the meetings, either.
The lack of progress is really starting to irritate us. I can see it now in the way Hayliel imbues. Theo and I watch as she shoves her power into weapon after weapon, never once breaking a sweat. Part of me wonders if the Archangels are doing this on purpose. Getting her riled up and frustrated so she can imbue more for them. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me.
What does surprise me, however, is the knock on the door that arrives as Hayliel is finishing up with her last blade. If it were one of the Archangels, they wouldn’t knock. Neither would our friends, so who could it be?
“What now?” I grumble as I head toward the door.
“Optimism, Raph,” Theo says with a wink. He’s my best friend, but damn, he sure knows how to get under my skin. It’s not his fault, though. He’s only trying to keep our spirits up.
Trying and failing … but still trying.
I open the door and stare into a pair of familiar eyes.
“Rad?” I whisper, surprised to find him here. Briathos stands behind him, offering me a nod.
“Good to see you, brother,” Rad says, peering over my shoulder.
I break free of my stupor, grab the pair of them, and pull them inside. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Holy shit. Even the guild doesn’t have this many sunblades,” Briathos says in awe.
Raduriel isn’t distracted by the blades. He looks confused, and for some reason that only pisses me off more. “You needed me, so I came.”
“I needed information—information you could’ve given me telepathically. But of course, you had to fucking show up. Hoping for center stage, I bet.” Rage bubbles inside me. I do my best to contain it, but with everything else happening, I feel like I could blow any second.
“No. I just wanted to help.”
How can someone so smart be so completely clueless?
“Well, let’s hope no one saw you gallivanting around, or else we’re screwed. They sidelined us, and if they find out we’re working our own angle, they’ll put an end to it.”
“Raphael,” Hayliel says gently, coming toward me while Theo makes his way toward my brother and his friend. I’m vibrating with energy and more anger than I can even understand. I feel foolish, but I can’t stop it.
Hayliel’s soft hands skim up my chest to cup my face. “Hey,” she soothes, rubbing her thumbs across my cheeks and forcing me to meet her gaze. “Breathe with me, baby.”
Part of me wants to slap her hands away and bolt, but that would be irrational.
I breathe in and out, doing my best to calm down. Fucking hell. My brother gets under my skin like no one else. I should probably go to therapy and deal with this cloud of overshadowing doubt whenever he’s around, because I can’t fucking live like this. Hayliel shouldn’t have to deal with me in this state.
When I’ve come down enough to be rational, I place a kiss on Hayliel’s forehead. “Thanks, sunshine.”
“I got you,” she whispers back.
“Did anyone see you come in?” I finally ask my brother.
“Just the guards.” Before I get the chance to chew him out again, Rad adds, “And all I told them was that I’d found out my brother was here and wanted to make sure he was alright. We can play up that angle to the Archangels if they ask questions.”
