Page 21 of Wings of Valor (Silver City University #4)
W e leave the war room with grim expressions on our faces and head toward the wing of the sanctuary dedicated to us. The one place we hope is private enough for us to talk about what the fuck just happened.
Mikhael told us to use the slate on the wall just inside our room to order room service. As if we’re thinking of food at a time like this. Still. We need energy if we want to get anything done, so we order anyway.
Only after the food arrives do we risk discussing our options.
If the Archangels and their council think we’ll just sit by on the sidelines, they’re sorely mistaken. Maybe if I’d just let everyone help me in the beginning, Zeke wouldn’t have been on his own and so easy to capture.
Fuck. I hate this!
I reach out to him again in my mind, trying my parents next when the connection doesn’t go through. The others watch me. I feel it on my skin, their eyes tracing over me. Do they know I’m trying to reach him? Are they trying, too?
Theo shakes his head, and I wonder if maybe I said my thoughts out loud again. I can’t reach him either, firefly. I’ll keep trying.
I nod in understanding and push the tears away. Lately, it feels like all I ever do is cry. I’m always angry or sad. I’m tired of it.
“I can go to the guild,” Mira offers. “If I can find a way to search Lieutenant Atlas’s things, maybe I’ll find out where he usually meets Auriel. It has to be somewhere they won’t get caught.”
“That’s a good point. Zeke said your dad was a lieutenant. Maybe you can talk to him and see if he’s heard anything?” Raphael asks.
An odd expression crosses Mira’s face, but it’s gone just as fast. “Maybe.”
“Dina is basically under house arrest by her father, but if she’s hanging out with you instead of me, he might not mind. It wouldn’t hurt to loop her in on all this,” I say, waving my hand around.
She nods. “I’ll message her now and keep it chill so her father doesn’t suspect anything.”
Theo places a kiss on my cheek before stealing a fry off my plate and popping it into his mouth.
“If you’re handling the guild, maybe Castiel and I can narrow down viable locations of their operations another way.
It might even help us have a better picture of everything, depending on what we find. ”
“Splendid idea,” Castiel agrees.
Raphael, being so observant, hands me a piece of bacon when he sees mine is all gone.
“Are you sure?” I ask, not wanting to take from him but really wanting another piece of the crispy deliciousness.
“I ordered extra.” He drops a kiss on my cheek, and I snatch that bacon up like a lifeline.
Yum.
“Well,” he goes on, “I’m still learning to trust him, but maybe I should contact Raduriel. The council isn’t the only one with connections, and he seemed eager enough to help us the last time we spoke.”
I take his hand. “Are you up for that? Because it’s okay if you’re not.”
He gives my fingers a gentle squeeze. “I can put aside my past for this. Besides, trust needs to be earned—and what better way to earn some than by helping out in an end-of-the-world type situation?”
I giggle. “Right.”
There’s silence for a few minutes as Raphael uses a very old, very unused connection with his brother to let him know they need to talk. He’s not even sure it’ll work, but I know the second Raduriel responds by the look on Raph’s face.
Good. Things are moving, and we’re not stuck in a corner somewhere being told not to get involved. “We don’t have many answers, but when has that stopped us?” I ask, trying to adopt some of my parents’ optimism. I hope wherever they are, they haven’t lost their hopeful spark.
“We’ll get them back,” Mira promises, and the others pile on in agreement.
I want to believe them. No, I have to. It’s all I think about as I do my best to finish the food on my plate, despite no longer finding myself hungry. I bet my parents and Zeke are hungry right now.
When everyone has finished eating, Castiel’s slate buzzes for the third time. As he reads it, his face falls. “It’s Principal Cael. It would appear my presence is required on campus. Raphael, can you take over for me with Theo until I’m back? Hopefully, I won’t be long.”
“Of course. No problem.”
I watch Castiel go, wondering if Cael is calling about what Dina mentioned. Some emergency meeting.
Fucking hell. The hits just keep coming.
Mira leaves, probably off to the guild, and my legs start to twitch.
I can’t just sit here. Raphael and Theo can look over maps, but I need to get some of this fucking energy out of me before I explode.
Besides, when Zeke and I imbued at his house, all I needed was big emotions.
And boy, do I have a lot of those right now.
In my search for the garden this morning, I stumbled across a room filled with swords and daggers, arrow tips and curved blades, and even a few wicked-looking maces.
That’s where I head now, my strides steady and determined.
I’ll imbue as many as I can now and show the Archangels I won’t be tucked aside.
The room is blissfully empty when I arrive. I grab a few swords off the rack, set them in a neat line on the table in the center of the room, and try to act like I know what I’m doing. One by one, I imbue them, keeping my focus sharp and fierce on the task at hand.
Before I know it, I’ve imbued six swords. They shine brighter than the small dagger I imbued with Zeke, and even brighter than the twin daggers I imbued for myself before meeting Auriel.
Not bad, Hayles. Not bad at all.
The well of power at the center of my being feels less full, less like it might devour me whole. Still, I think I can drain it more. We need enough for an army, which means I might have to be a little more deliberate with how much sunfire I’m pushing into each of these.
I’m pulling out another blade when the door opens and Kirach steps inside.
All the air rushes out of me, and I freeze, unsure of how this will play out.
Does he hate me? Blame me for Zeke’s kidnapping?
Gods. Last time he saw me, I was half naked in his workshop with his son.
If he knew the trouble I’d get his only child in, would he have been so nice that day?
He doesn’t say anything at first, only looks at the six weapons glowing on the table. There’s no smile on his face, not even a glimmer of lightness. Not that I blame him. He already lost his wife, and now he’s facing the same thing with his son.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt, unable to stay silent a moment longer.
“What are you apologizing for, exactly?”
I swallow, taken aback by his question. “The only reason they’re holding Zeke hostage right now is me. And after everything your family has already been through, I’m—”
“I don’t accept,” Kirach says, sounding detached and making my hopes plummet.
“Oh. Um … alright. I understand.” Without another word, I turn and put the fresh blade back on the rack, holding back tears until I can get the fuck out of here, but Kirach’s words stop me.
“I don’t accept, because you have nothing to apologize for.”
I turn on him, unable to keep the bewilderment from my voice. “But he was only there because of me!”
“That might be true, but it doesn’t negate the fact that you aren’t responsible for the actions of others. Zeke made a choice, one I know he probably doesn’t regret. Not if it means you’re safe. I suspect he made that choice for someone he loves, and that’s not something anyone agonizes over.”
I can only stare, unsure of what to say.
How can he already know Zeke loves me, when even I didn’t fully understand until recently?
He offers me a tight smile. “My wife made a similar choice once. It isn’t easy, being the one sacrifices are made for.”
My world tilts on its axis. Is that what really happened to Zeke’s mom? Does he know? I want to ask him these questions, but Kirach keeps talking.
His jaw is set, determination blazing in his eyes. “But know this. We will get my son back, and whoever took him will pay the price. I haven’t been the best father, not since my wife died, but I’m so proud of the man he’s become.”
“I think Zeke would really like to hear that,” I tell him, my eyes stinging.
“Then we best make sure we get him back, hey?”
I offer him a smile and nod. Something tells me he’d be down to assist with our secret mission.
“Would you mind if I stayed to watch you imbue?”
His questions take me by surprise. Not just that he’s asking, but he sounds genuinely intrigued. It seems like anytime someone wanted to watch me in the past, it was always with the hope they’d see me fail. His request doesn’t feel like that. It’s a nice change.
“Not at all,” I reply, then pick up the blade I’d just put away, close my eyes, and coax my internal pool of sunfire to life.
Kirach has lost enough. I’ve lost enough.
We’ll get Zeke and my parents back, even if I have to defy the entire city to do so.