Page 87 of Wings of Valor
A sound catches my attention, and I turn just in time to see an angel pass behind a tree so thick no creature could wrap its arms around it. Was that Darok? What the hell is he doing here?
But no, it can’t be, because what emerges from the other side isn’t an angel. It’s a demon.
He walks toward me casually, like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “My, my. What are you doing so far from the action, Hayliel?”
He says my name like we’re friends, like he’s not on the opposite side of this war. The wrong side. “Do I know you?” I know we don’t have much time to waste, but there’s something about this demon that has sirens going off in my brain.
He laughs. “Clever little thing, aren’t you? Too bad, though. You might have gotten away from the bombs, but you won’t make it out of the forest.”
The bombs. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? But if he is, that would mean demons had access to those uniforms and maybe even access to the sanctuary. A chill rolls down my spine at the thought.
“Very valiant of you to try, but you can’t stop what’s coming. The demon king will prevail.” I know the minute he sees Remiel, because he pauses his tirade, most likely reassessing the situation. Then he smiles. “Look what we have here. A two-for-one deal. How lucky am I?”
Apparently done with his monologue, he attacks. As far as demons go, he isn’t the most formidable one I’ve fought, but he isn’t the easiest, either. On my own, it would have taken longer, but with Remiel here, we turn him to dust in under five minutes.
“Do you think Auriel sent him here?” I ask Remiel as we continue our way toward the lure point.
“It’s possible. But with the way he spoke, it’s more likely he came on orders from the demon king himself.”
“Don’t really like the idea of being on his radar,” I mutter, already hating it enough to be on Auriel’s.
“Best not to think of it, then. Come on. We’re almost there.”
Easier said than done, but I suppose he’s right. I’ve got enough on my plate to worry about now. Worries about the demon king can wait until after we deal with Auriel.
The forest grows thicker and denser the closer we get to our destination, accompanied by the earthy scent of moss and colorful mushrooms that make my nose twitch. The undergrowth is thick with vegetation and broken branches, making it difficult to maneuver, but we finally break through.
Sunlight dances in from the break in the leaves above, and a few feet away from us sits a large stump. We approach with caution, just in case we haven’t been as subtle as we think.
When we’re close enough, I reach out and touch the old tree. There are far more rings than I can count, and I marvel at how perfectly flat the top is. Whoever cut it down must have taken great care and precision to make it this clean.
I wish I could ask them why. What did they hope this would become, and what would they think about it now if they knew what we were about to do here?
I pull the antidote from within a hidden pocket and nod to Remiel before drinking it down. For our plan to work, Remiel had to take some of Mira’s potion earlier too, or else we’d both have been easily recognizable. He doesn’t take the antidote, though. We want Auriel to believe I’m here without an Archangel.
For a second, I think I might feel the antidote working, flowing through my bloodstream and canceling out Mira’s earlier potion, but maybe that’s all in my head.
Every moment that passes is an eternity, and I begin to worry that our carefully laid plan won’t work. Did we fuck up somewhere? Is there another traitor among us?
Something shifts on the breeze, then a twig snaps from somewhere nearby, and I know before he even steps foot out of the trees—it’s Auriel.
He’s alone, looking far calmer than I hoped he would at finding Remiel beside me. It’s one thing to fight me, but his own kind? Someone he’s spent countless years ruling beside? Auriel appears only happy at the revelation. Gleeful, almost.
“How cute of you to bring the bookworm,” Auriel says as he continues taking slow steps toward us. “Senseless, perhaps, but cute. He can’t protect you like he promised.”
His words are confusing, and even though I want to probe for more details or lash out about not needing protection, I know Auriel is only trying to get under my skin. So instead, I put it back on him with the hopes he’ll give something up. “Oh, really? How exactly do you see this playing out, then?”
“If you’re smart, you’ll kill him and join me at my side. If you’re not”—his grin widens—“you’ll have an up close view of your friends and family dying before I end your life.”
“You can’t kill me.”
“There are far worse things than death, little seraph.”
Once again, I don’t take the bait—even though it dangles there, tempting me. He must sense his tactic won’t work because he changes gears.
“It’s funny how you’ll refuse to work with me, but have no trouble siding with them,” Auriel says, tilting his head toward Remiel. “Who do you think is to blame for the current state of our city? They didn’t stop me from separating the Fallen because they simply do not care. If you truly hate me, then you’ll have to hate them, too. At least with me you know what you’re getting.”
Gods, I hate this man. “You talk too much, you know that?”
