Page 21

Eden was right. The library at Celestia was beautiful in its own intricate ways.

It was hard to believe no one else was there except me.

The high arched ceilings were adorned with Celestial figures, and the walls—each were lined with tall, built-in bookshelves that stretched up to a second level.

The combination of the ornate ceilings and the gleaming gold accents against the blue archways and shelves made it all feel like I was in a palace.

I took my phone out, texting Marnie about how she should have taken me here ages ago before my finger hovered over Lucas’s incoming message. Sighing, I opened it.

Lucas: Hey, heard about what happened between you and Ver. U okay?

You: I think u should be asking that to Veronica. How is she?

I bit my lip, waiting for his response but nothing came, so I typed:

You: Can we meet later?

Three dots appeared.

Lucas: Sure, I’m just walking out of the Healers Sector. We can meet in the canteen, say, at 4pm?

I replied with a thumbs up before pocketing my phone away and navigating myself through the library.

As I walked through each aisle, names such as angelology and lore stood out, and I felt like I was in my element for once. I ran my fingertips across each book, searching for something I wasn’t so sure of when something flickered from behind me. I turned and frowned.

When I whirled my head back around, I jumped as I saw a small figure appear in front of me.

I pressed a hand to my racing heart and shook my head as the creature hovered a few feet above the ground, his small, childlike form crowned with a faint golden halo that glowed softly in the dim light of the library.

“Hello!” it spoke in a surprisingly deep and melodic voice.

Oh.

A cherub.

He looked exactly as the paintings depicted him, with his petite wings, large and silver eyes, and innocent appearance that seemed both young and ancient at once.

“Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the Garden of Eden?” I asked, half-joking

The cherub tilted his head. “Why, there are far more than just a few cherubs in the angelic realm, Miss Martin.”

I frowned, a bit thrown off. “How do you know my last name?”

“Cherubs are omniscient deities.” His eyes gleamed. “We hold the knowledge of every book in this library and of any human we first meet. Ask me anything, and I shall provide the adequate answer.”

I stared at him for a long moment. It felt strange to speak to this small, ethereal creature, but I also felt comforted in its presence. After all, it had been the first I’d witnessed a cherub in front of me. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I decided to test his words. “Alright,” I said slowly. “Tell me something interesting about the Celestials.”

“Celestials are beings divided by a distinct hierarchy.” The cherub smiled as he spoke, almost as if he enjoyed the chance to share his knowledge.

“They operate within different orders: First, Second, Third and finally Fourth. Each one holds unique power and influence over the cosmos. The Demonic Celestials, however, have a hierarchy of six levels, each one ascending into darker corruption, such as the Ruler, the Overlords, the Archfiends, the Hellbound Knights, the Lesser demons and finally the corrupted souls.”

I was captivated by his words. Suddenly, I wanted to ask him every little thing as if I were speaking with someone claiming to be a fortune teller. I might as well have been.

“What are some of their powers like? Are they... similar to an Ascendant?” I doubted it.

“Demonic powers range from who and what they are. A lesser demon can possess one signature power, such as shadow manipulation, blood and soul magic, hellfire conjuration, or mind corruption based on their emotions. An overlord may hold all of those powers and more. The ruler—”

“Will have everything. Got it.” I chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me more about the Riftkeeper’s?” I asked, pushing a little further.

“Riftkeeper’s,” he replied, a note of caution creeping into his voice.

“They are an organisation born from the ancient wars between angels and demons. They may be protectors of humanity, but their methods are often... ruthless, skirting the edge of cruelty. They believe the ends justify the means, which is why they are sometimes considered worse than the biblical monsters.”

I lifted a brow. “Worse?”

“It is a hypothesis, Miss Martin. Most have not had to encounter a Leviathan or the first beast, but they have Riftkeeper’s.”

I hummed. “Okay... and what about the Grand War?”

The cherub’s tone dropped, and his silvery eyes darkened just slightly.

“The Grand War,” he spoke as though the words were sacred, “occurred after Lucifer’s fall, a declaration of war on all Celestial beings.

It was a brutal clash between light and dark, ravaging humanity until the Seraphims established a truce to preserve mankind. ”

“And do you have any books detailing the war?”

“Why, of course!” With a click of his fingers, a book materialised and fell into my hands. “The Remnants of the Grand War, written by the Archangel Gabriel in the year 803. Will that be all, Miss Martin, or do you require any more information?”

I shook my head, slightly dazed. “No—um—that will be all, thank you.”

“You are welcome, Miss Martin,” he replied, his head dipping in a small bow before he vanished in a faint puff of simmering smoke.

I blinked and glanced behind me as if someone else was there to see all of that. Although they probably wouldn’t be as stunned as I was right now. Puffing out a soft sigh, I looked back at the book in my hands. It was heavy, with leather bindings and silver accents running along the spine.

I flipped the book onto its first page, scanning the inked writing and sketches that resembled weapons.

Fascinated, I was just about to dive into the text when a shadow loomed over me, and I jumped once again, though this time nearly dropping the book on my feet.

“Oh fu—” I started, only to stop when I looked up and saw it was Hunter, standing there, his head tilted as he watched me with that usual unreadable expression of his.

I instantly frowned. “Is it a habit of yours to suddenly appear when I would prefer not to see your face for the millionth time?” I asked.

There was a slight smirk on his lips. “Depends. Does it make you want to quit?”

I glowered. “Hardly.”

His eyes landed on the book in my hand, causing me to quickly close it so he didn’t read into it. “The Grand War?” He lifted a brow, and I huffed.

“I was bored,” I said, plopping the book down on a random shelf.

“Right.”

He didn’t believe me. I didn’t care. Well, I didn’t want to.

There was a moment of silence between us before he said, “I heard about what happened in Sariel’s class.”

I blinked, taken aback. “You did?”

He nodded, leaning against one of the shelves, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Veronica had some kind of vision. She blamed you.”

My hands clammed up, and the uneasy feeling of what happened in Sariel’s class began creeping up inside me. “Is that why you’re here then? To rub it in my face that someone else doesn’t want me here just as much as you do.”

He looked away, his jaw straining. “Not exactly.”

“Then what is it?”

Hunter’s expression shifted as he looked back at me. He seemed... worried. But I refused to believe that was for my benefit. “Do you know what the vision was about?”

I was suddenly uncomfortable. I didn’t want to mention the part about Lucas. That felt too... personal. “No,” I lied, though not entirely. All I knew was that it involved Lucas. “She just... blamed me, I guess.”

Hunter stared at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine like he was trying to decide whether or not to believe that lie, too.

I knew he didn’t, but it didn’t stop me from holding his gaze, refusing to back down, and when he didn’t push further, I let out a small breath of relief until my stupid mind decided I had a question for him.

“Do all the visions that Guardians have come true?”

He gave me that look again, the one that felt like he was peeling back every one of my layers and studying them in depth. It unnerved me, yet it thrilled me all at once.

“No,” he said after a pause, and I held my breath. “Ascendant Guardians are still learning, so their visions aren’t always... accurate.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you’re learning to harness the power of a Guardian, sometimes your fears and worries can get mixed up with the different visionary pathways.” He shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. “It creates scenes that feel real, but they just reflect what you’re afraid of.”

I mulled over his words, feeling a sense of relief that perhaps what Veronica saw was just her fears manifesting into one.

Before I could ask him more, the shrill wail of an alarm shattered the quiet atmosphere of the library. The sound wasn’t just loud—it felt alive, vibrating through the walls, the floor, and into my chest.

“What the hell is that?” I gasped, pressing my hands over my ears.

Hunter’s expression hardened instantly, his entire body tensing. “The barriers.”

“What about them?” I demanded, panic clawing its way into my throat.

He turned to me. “It means the barriers to Celestia have been compromised, and someone that is not one of us has managed to get in.”

My stomach dropped before he grabbed my hand and yanked me to a nearby window.

“Do you see that?” he said, pointing to where a shimmering barrier stretched across the horizon, its surface flickering. “That’s not supposed to happen.”

I frowned, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. ‘What’s causing it?’

He hesitated, his gaze fixed on the barriers. “The barriers are alive in their own way. They’re woven from Celestial energy, tied to the balance of our realms. When that balance shifts—when demons gain too much power, or there is corruption within Celestials and Ascendants—the barriers weaken.”

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening as the blaring of alarms increased. “So why now? What’s changed?”

“I don’t know.” Hunter’s jaw clenched. “Just stay here.” He changed subjects and started toward the exit. I hesitated for only a few seconds before deciding to follow. He turned to me, making me almost bump into him. “Grace,” he warned.

‘I’m not staying here. I’m not a dog that you can—’

“Then what are you, Grace? Because you seem awfully eager to disobey.”

I glowered. “I’ll disobey if I want—”

He didn’t stay to listen as he began to walk away before pausing and turning to look at me. There was something so fierce and promising in his words as he spoke, “I’ll come back for you.” And with that, he disappeared through the doors of the library.

I stood there frozen for a moment, trying to gather myself.

The library suddenly felt small, too distracting, too exposed.

The alarms had quieted into a distant sound, but the eerie feeling that followed was somehow worse.

I bit down on my lip as I backed up into the shadows between two towering shelves.

“Cherub?” I whispered as if he would appear and protect me, but the little deity never came. The minutes crawled by, each one more excruciating than the last. All I could think was, who had breached the barriers? Would the Riftkeeper’s know we’re here? Was it demons?

My mind was on overdrive, thinking of the worst possible scenarios involving Hunter not coming back. Why would he, after all? If he was so adamant about wanting me to leave this place, maybe he’ll make sure I do after today.

Then, I heard it. The soft creak of the library doors opening.

I’d spoken too soon. He did come back.

Relief washed over me briefly as I peered around the edge of the bookshelf, but when I saw a scrawny figure moving quietly through the aisles, I realized it wasn’t Hunter, and panic consumed me instead.

I dared not breathe as the man, with his face hidden beneath the hood of his jacket, made precise movements as if searching for something or someone.

My pulse pounded louder, and I tried to think. I started to creep through the stacks, keeping my body low. My fingers brushed the spine of old heavy books as I manoeuvred my way around the library. There was an opening for the entrance. I could run quick before he caught me, or I could—

Stop running, Grace. That’s all you do. You always run and wait for someone else to save you.

My hands trembled as that voice spoke inside my head, the same one that would tell me I was worthless.

I closed my eyes, knowing that what I was doing was just as foolish either way.

I backed up onto another shelf and reached for a heavy book.

The footsteps of the intruder seemed to get louder, and I took a deep breath before I lunged out, the book raised high and ready to slam it down on the person’s head—

“Grace!”

I froze, my body stiffening as the book hovered inches above Hunter’s head.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked, his voice sounding exasperated.

“I—” I lowered the book as my face flushed bright red from embarrassment. “There was someone here, I thought—” I stopped myself, my hands still shaking.

His eyes narrowed, processing my words. He glanced around us, checking the front and then behind him. “What did you see?”

I shook my head, feeling ridiculous, yet my chest was heaving. “A man. He was wearing a jacket, but I couldn’t see his face. I just knew it wasn’t you—”

Before I could say more, a scream echoed outside the library, and my knees buckled at the shrilling sound. I looked up at Hunter, wide-eyed. His shoulders tensed before he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door.

We sprinted down the stairs, the sound of our footsteps swallowed by the growing chaos outside Nadael’s office. My chest tightened as we rounded the corner where a small crowd had gathered, their faces pale.

And that was when I saw him.

Lucas.

He lay crumpled on the cold stone floor, his body bent at unnatural angles. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and viscous, spreading in thick rivers. My breath caught, and for a moment, the world tilted.

“No,” I whispered, the word barely audible over the panicked voices around me. My legs refused to move, rooting me to the spot as the image of Lucas’s lifeless body burned into my mind.

Something’s happening to my brother!

This is all your fault!

You did this!

Hunter’s hand clamped on my arm, steadying me before I could collapse. “We need to go.”

“I can’t—”

“Now, Grace,” he snapped, his grip tightening as he pulled me away. The world blurred around me, but Lucas’s broken form stayed vivid, etched into the darkness behind my eyelids.