Page 11 of Wings of Valor
She leans against the wall, looking like a slightly more stylish, less grumpy, gender-swapped version of Zeke. It must be amy father’s a lieutenantthing. “Well, I won’t take up too much of your time. I just wanted to let you know I understand your decision, and if I can help, I will.”
I stop breathing. She can’t possibly know what I’ve decided. No one does.
Playing dumb, I say, “I’m not following.”
One side of her mouth tilts upward in a half smile. “Please. I can smell your determination all the way from home. You’re going to agree to work with Auriel in exchange for your parents’ lives and freedom. It’s what I would do in your situation.”
My gaze narrows on her. This could be her way of trying to convince me to open up just so she can shut me down, but themore I think about it, the more I realize how very un-Mira like that is. She’s open and sometimes downright blunt. Subterfuge isn’t her thing.
“You would?” I ask tentatively.
“Without a doubt. Have they answered your telepathic calls yet?”
I don’t get the sense that she’s lying to me. She would absolutely trade herself in my shoes. But that still doesn’t explain why she’s here.
Shit. She asked me something, and here I am lost in thought. “No. It scares the fuck out of me, but I think I’d feel it if … if they—”
“Trust me, you’d know.” Our eyes meet, and I see a world of pain behind her green gaze. “My mom left when I was little. Just took off one day and didn’t come home. She left me a note, promising to come back for me. Two weeks later, I was playing in the park when it hit me. The pain was almost unbearable. It felt like my chest was caving in. I knew, at that moment, that my mom wouldn’t be coming back for me. Not in this life, anyway.”
My chest tightens, making me feel even closer to this woman who sprang into my life out of nowhere. “I’m so sorry. Does what happened have anything to do with your situation at home now? I don’t want to pry, but I’m here if you ever need a friend.”
I want to ask why her mom left. What it was she’d been running from, or toward, but it doesn’t feel like the right moment. Maybe it never will.
“It was a long time ago, and my circumstances now are a much longer story for when things aren’t so messy. But it’s why I sympathize with you. It’s why I’m here offering whatever support I can.” She glances at my slate, which has been vibrating nonstop with message notifications. “The others have good intentions. Hell, the guys are madly in love with you, and everyone else just wants you to be safe. I’m sure they won’t behappy with me when they learn I knew and didn’t try to stop you, but …” She shrugs.
My gut urges me to take her words at face value. At this point, I’ll take all the help I can get. “I appreciate that. And honestly, I could use a sounding board, if you don’t mind? I just … I need you to promise not to tell the others. The last thing I need is to worry about them stumbling in and ruining the plan. I don’t want anyone getting hurt on my behalf.”
She mimes locking her lips and throwing away the key. “It’ll stay between us. But if you’d like, I can deliver a message to them after you’ve gone, when it’s too late for them to stop you. Pass along your love, or even a plan to extract you, which, honestly, you should have as a backup just in case that shady fucker doesn’t hold to his end of the deal.”
I pat the bed and smile, reaching for my hidden notes with my free hand. “I’m really fucking glad you’re here. Now this is where I’m at with a plan.”
Turns out I’d been on the right track when I decided to research the coordinates. Mira confirmed it’s exactly what she’d have done, and then we looked at the area together. Just past the point where the housing and farming district meet, there’s a desert, and the coordinates Auriel sent are on the cusp of it. Pictures of the area are minimal, but it looks like he wants to meet somewhere far enough away from the city to not be seen or heard. There are a few places to be careful of. Little hidden spots I don’t even think I’d have noticed on my own where Auriel could trap me or have his lackeys waiting to grab me—dense shrubs or large dunes of sand where the desert begins.
The heavy weight that’s been sitting on my shoulders for days eases slightly with Mira’s help. I’m grateful for her guidance andsupport. It’s not as if she owes me anything, so the fact that she’s here with me tells me everything I need to know about who she is.
It’s enough encouragement for me to share my biggest fear with her. She’s helped me with everything else so far. Maybe she’ll have some good advice for this, too.
“What if … what if he refuses to let my parents go? Given what he’s capable of, I don’t trust that he’ll stick to his word. Knowing he saw Raphael, Zeke, and Theo with me—and isn’t demanding anything from them—only makes me more concerned. Will he truly let them and my parents be, after what they know?”
She rests a hand on top of mine, offering me strength. “The bastard is an Archangel. Maybe he feels safe enough in the powerful good-guy image he has. With the way things are now, he probably doesn’t think anyone would believe some youngsters or two Fallen adults.”
“I fucking hate him and the way things have become,” I say, dropping my head in my hands.
“Me fucking too, babe. We’ll never know for sure what’s going on in Auriel’s mind. All we can do is plan for as many outcomes as possible—and hope none of them happens.”
“Right. No pressure.” It all feels like too much. Too many angels at risk with far too many shitty outcomes.
“Let’s focus on small things,” Mira says, tapping my notes. “We’ll start with your parents. If you’re worried he won’t let them leave, why don’t I wait nearby, far enough away that he won’t sense me, and I’ll help them get home safely?”
“I appreciate that, but I really don’t want to put anyone else at risk, and that includes you. What if he attacks them and you get hurt in the process? I’d never forgive myself.”
“Alright, then I’ll check on them at home. Or you can tell them where to go, and I’ll meet them there. I understand you don’t want anyone to get hurt, but you aren’t alone. You can lean onme.” Mira bumps me with her arm. “I promise I can take care of myself.”
“Alright,” I concede. “You can meet them at their house and bring the guys as extra protection.” Maybe knocking the possibilities out one at a time isn’t such a bad idea after all.
“Good.” She smiles. “Now, obviously I hope he keeps his word and everything goes off without a hitch, but if it doesn’t, there are a few general rules to live by. Be wary of food or drink that you haven’t seen prepared. If I can figure out how to mix up a concoction, I’m sure Auriel has someone on his team who can, too.”
A shudder runs through me at the thought—along with an idea. Fuck, I’m glad Mira’s here. “That’s a good point. And it brings up another option. The little blue vials you gave me to hide my powers … if I take one before the meeting, it might help me get away in the off chance that things don’t go according to plan.”
