Page 63 of Wings of Valor
We follow Remiel to the council chamber and find a heated debate about why the Fallen would ever agree to work with Auriel and his demons. Most of the council is made up of Pure angels, aside from a few Fallen—like Azrael—who I can’t help but notice are getting the side-eye from everyone. Overall, this is the wrong crowd to understand what Fallen deal with on a regular basis.
Remiel makes his way to his seat next to the other Archangels, and the room falls silent.
“Ah, Hayliel. I’m so glad to see your parents settling in after their ordeal,” Mikhael says, smiling warmly. “Thank you for coming. We were hoping you’d lend us your insight into a matter we can’t quite seem to figure out.”
“Of course. What do you need?” I’m still not pleased with the way things went down during our rescue mission, but it seems even they were played. The demand to drop the bombs and then leave never came from the Archangels or the distraction team. It was a rogue angel who infiltrated their way into our communications, hoping to take us out or make us angry enough at the Archangels that we’d go ballistic.
“Why do you think the Fallen would work with the enemy?”
I glance at my parents, noticing Mom has her hand raised. Cute.
“May we speak freely?”
Mikhael bows his head. “Please.”
“Fallen have been mistreated for a very long time.” The council room grows loud with aggravated grunts, but Mikkael only has to raise a hand to silence them, allowing Mom to continue. “We’re given the worst jobs and paid poorly to do them. Thereare areas we cannot enter because of our wings and housing areas we cannot live in, even if we could afford it. Even now, we’re sequestered to the Fallen district, a place more filthy than any other area in Silver City. While I don’t agree with the Fallen who sided with Auriel, I can understand what they’re trying to achieve.”
The room is silent when she finishes. Put like that, I don’t see how anyone could argue, let alone the Pures, who have never had to deal with those inequalities.
“My wife is right,” Dad adds, grabbing her hand in solidarity. “I doubt the Fallen would have agreed to work with Auriel, or even the demons, if they knew what he was really planning. They wanted freedom and equality, but all they’re doing is helping rid the world of their own population faster than before.”
“What do you mean, ‘if they knew what they were really planning’?” a woman with short curly hair and a pointy nose asks.
“From what we overheard in captivity, it sounds like their goal is to remove all traces of Fallen from the city. It’s why they’ve built a bomb filled with broken angel blades and hope to drop them on the Fallen district.”
If this information didn’t come from my parents, I might not believe it, but these council members don’t have the luxury of knowing my parents enough to trust their word.
My stomach knots just thinking about the offer Auriel made me. Of helping him with the promise of protecting my parents when what he wanted all along was their kind wiped out. “What we have to do now is work together. Not just against Auriel, but in the future, too. We need to win this war and continue to improve the lives of all our citizens, not just the Pure.”
One of the council members groans and slams his fist down on the table. “No one is treated poorly. Has it maybe gotten a little out of hand? Sure, I can admit that, but to say that Fallen andPure aren’t equals is a load of shit. A look through history will prove it.”
It’s Darok. The piece of shit that came with us on our rescue mission. I’m immediately reminded of how much I hate him. How dare he sit there and carry on with this nonsense after what my parents and I just shared? As if he’s known a day of hardship in his fucking life.
“Your privilege is showing, Darok. I agree with what Hayliel and her parents are saying,” Azrael says, standing from his seat at the table. “We see it at the guild where only Fallen may work. But we have just as many Pure citizens, if not more, and I know several who would love the opportunity to fight for our city themselves. Fallen lives are not worth less than Pure, and I think it’s time we changed the narrative so this becomes more widely understood by all.”
I smile at him, glad to have him on this side of things.
Mikkael claps his hands once, drawing all eyes toward him. “It would appear we have some work to do. Camael, Maribella, would you two be willing to help us speak with other Fallen? We’d like to compile a list of all grievances and ideas on how we can improve things. If we can change their minds, maybe they’ll give up on their plans with Auriel and those beasts. You have our word that, once we deal with him, we’ll work on making things right in the city again. For every member of the community.”
For a second, all I can do is stare at Mikhael. Did he truly just offer that? Alone, he likely wouldn’t get anywhere. They need Fallen angels to reach other Fallen, and who better than my parents? The eternal optimists who have dealt with their fair share of bullshit. Personally, I love the idea, but I’m not sure what they’ll think.
Mom and Dad are having a quiet conversation, but the moment their eyes find mine, I know their answer. They’re going to do it.
“We will help, as long as your offer remains genuine,” Dad says, gripping Mom’s hand.
“Then it’s settled—” Mikhael begins to say amidst another round of grumbling from a few council members, but before he can go on, someone knocks on the door. The messenger enters, but instead of heading to the Archangels like I expect, he comes to me.
“Sorry to intrude, but you asked to be told if there was any change with Zeke.”
I suck in a breath, scared at what he might say next.
“He’s awake.”
25
Consciousness comes for me like a wraith.
It doesn’t last long, not when my body feels weighted down and sore.
