Page 32 of Wings of Valor (Silver City University #4)

C onsciousness comes for me like a wraith.

It doesn’t last long, not when my body feels weighted down and sore.

Back and forth, I wrestle to wake fully, not really wanting to. If I’m awake, I’ll feel their torture, but if I remain in this state, they might harm Hayliel’s parents, and I can’t allow that.

Even on the cusp of what feels like death, I’d still do anything for her.

On my next bout of awareness, I listen. There’s a low humming noise that wasn’t there before. A rhythmic beeping that would probably annoy me if it were any louder. Have they moved me to a different cell? Beneath my fingers, I feel soft cotton and plush bedding.

Is this another of their tactics? Offer me niceties and hope I’ll turn on my friends? If it is, I suppose I could enjoy it.

But no, it doesn’t feel like their play.

I wonder for a moment if Hayliel saved me.

Saved her parents like I tried, and failed, to do.

But that would mean she ran straight into danger.

Who am I kidding? She’d absolutely do that.

Hell, that was her plan all along, wasn’t it?

To trade herself in order to protect her parents and everyone else.

Of course she’d put herself in harm’s way to save us.

Slowly, I crack my eyes open and immediately slam them shut. Bright lights blind me, their ghostly forms dancing behind my lids.

I hear the door click open, and a minute later, the room plunges into darkness.

“There. That should help your eyes adjust,” someone says.

Shit. They know I’m awake. I guess my plan to feign sleep is dead.

Opening my eyes, I find a man standing at the end of my bed. He’s wearing an unbuttoned white lab coat over a simple collared shirt and is looking over a stack of papers. I shift, testing my body, and instantly regret it. An ache races across my shoulder, making me hiss.

“I’m glad to see you’re awake, Ezekiel. Your friends will be very happy.”

“My friends?” I ask, voice hoarse. Is this another trick? Have they caught them, too?

“I’m not surprised you don’t remember. There was a rescue mission, and they brought you here, to the Sanctuary.

Camael and Maribella are safe, and now you are, too.

You’ve been resting for quite some time.

I’ll admit, the reattaching of your lost limb isn’t something I’ve heard of before, so I’m glad you’ve finally woken up. ”

Safe. They’re safe. Wait. “Lost limb?”

The healer nods. “Your left wing. I’m told it was cut off with an angel blade.”

My mind reels, and like a dam breaking, reality floods in.

I remember. Auriel’s torture. Plucking my feathers over and over again while demanding I tell him how to get to Hayliel.

Then, when that didn’t work, he pulled an angel blade and spent an hour sawing my wing off.

He didn’t need that long. He just wanted me to suffer.

“Here, have some water,” he says, handing me a glass.

“We’ll continue with the serum that keeps your wings trapped beneath your flesh for another day or so, to promote the healing as much as possible.

As soon as that’s worn off, we’ll begin the process of therapy to guide you through what your life will look like going forward. ”

That’s what he doesn’t understand. I’m not discouraged, not really.

Am I happy that I’ve lost a wing? Fuck, no.

But I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if it went any other way.

I would gladly lose both wings and have to live life with the humans if it meant Hayliel was safe. She’s worth far more to me than wings.

“Camael and Maribella are unharmed, truly?” I ask, still not convinced this isn’t some mind-fuck orchestrated by Auriel. It’s why I don’t ask about Hayliel. Not yet. Not until I know doing so won’t put her in danger.

“They’re good as new, though I have them on a weekly therapy session to work through their trauma. Sorry to ruin the surprise, but you’ll be doing the same once you’re better.”

Part of me wants to tell him I don’t need therapy, but I hold back. Maybe I do.

“I won’t lie to you, Ezekiel. The journey will be long, but we’re truly dealing with a miracle here, so don’t get discouraged,” the healer goes on, confusing me.

“Miracle?”

“Unless you have another word to describe the rejoining of a limb previously severed by an angel blade, I’d say miracle is precisely accurate.”

A game. That’s what this is. Auriel is trying to confuse me—his next tactic in his crusade to get to Hayliel. But I won’t fall for it, regardless of what he takes from me.

The sound of hushed voices grows louder outside the door. I struggle to listen past the low hum of the machines in here, needing to know if it’s friend or foe, but all I can hear is the rushing of blood through my veins and the pounding of my heart.

This is it.

I’m about to find out if this is real or just a game to wear me down.

Then, like the sweetest symphony. I hear it.

I hear her.

“He’ll appreciate seeing you guys, too,” she whispers, and I hear someone snort. Probably Raphael.

“He’ll appreciate us more if you go in alone. It’s you he needs right now, not us.”

The healer sets my chart down. “Well, that’s all from me. Do you feel up to seeing your friends?”

“Yes,” I croak, desperation clawing at me through the fear that this is all some clever trick.

“Happy to hear it. I’ll let them in now. Push that button there if you need me,” he says, motioning to a call button next to me. Then he’s gone, and the door shuts behind him.

When it opens again, I hold my breath.

Hayliel walks through, slowly, seeming almost shy, and the moment our eyes lock, I feel whole again. Thank the gods she’s alright.

“Zeke,” she whispers, eyes roaming over where I sit propped up on the bed.

“Hummingbird.”

She runs toward me, a sob tearing from her throat.

In this moment, I don’t notice the pain or discomfort. All I see is her. All I feel is her.

She carefully sits on the bed, cupping my face like she can’t believe I’m here.

“Fuck, I missed you,” I tell her, looking over every inch of her beautiful face. My words only make her cry harder. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.”

She curls against my side, and we lie like this for several minutes. Her, with quiet tears making wet marks on the blanket, and me totally content to just hold her.

“I’m so sorry,” she says, finally breaking the silence.

What in the world? “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.”

My words piss her off, but I don’t think she’s mad at me. She’s mad at herself, and I don’t understand why.

She buries her face against me. “It’s my fault this happened to you. You were only there because of me! Fuck, if I had just told you what I was planning, maybe things would have gone differently.”

Her words shatter my heart. “Hey, hey, hey. Look at me.”

She shakes her head.

“Look at me, please. I need you to see my face when I tell you this.”

Eventually she does as I ask. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, cheeks wet. Gods, she’s stunning, even in this state.

“You are not to blame for anything. Auriel is. He’s the one who did this to me, not you.” Another tear slides down her cheek. “Besides, if things didn’t go down like they did, we may not have your parents back right now. But if what the doctor said is true, we do. They’re alive. So am I.”

“But Zeke …”

I know she’s talking about my wing, and maybe the loss hasn’t sunk in yet or I’m delusional, but there are far worse things that could have happened. Things I wouldn’t have survived—like her being harmed in any way. “No buts , hummingbird. If I had to go back in time, I would do it all over again.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you. More than I could possibly say.”

When our lips meet, it’s not romantic. Salt lines her tear-stained lips, and our teeth clash as we move in desperation. She’s safe, she’s safe, she’s safe. The words repeat in my head like a prayer.

I’m finally home.

A knock on the door interrupts us, but she doesn’t try to leave the bed. I wouldn’t have let her go, anyway.

Raphael and Theo enter the room, and I almost can’t decipher the looks on their faces. Relief maybe? With a hint of pain.

“It’s good to see you, man,” Theo says a little awkwardly.

“Yeah,” Raphael adds. “Never thought I’d be excited to see your face, but here we are.”

I laugh because, shit, are we bonding or something? “Enjoy it while you can. I’m sure the feeling won’t last long.”

There’s an awkward silence as they stand by my bed, watching me. Theo is the first to break it. “Seriously, though. We’re glad to have you back, and not just because our girl was in tatters while you were gone.”

He elbows Raphael, who winces but adds, “Fine. It wasn’t the same without you. You’re part of our little family, and it sucked not knowing if you were alive and shit.”

I grin, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. If it were anyone else, I’d give him hell for being all mushy, but for some reason, I can’t with Raphael. Admitting that, after all the crap that’s happened between us, must have cost him a lot, and I don’t want to diminish it with jokes.

“I’m glad to be back home, and that everyone is alright. Auriel, he said some shit, trying to get me to talk, but I never knew if it was true.” My throat tightens as I remember the horrific things he whispered in my ear while I was delirious.

Hayliel sniffles, fresh tears falling from her eyes. “We tried to reach you every day. My parents, too.”

I nod, believing with everything I am that she would have.

“They gave me something to keep me weak. Whatever it was, they didn’t give it to your parents.

Fallen aren’t taught how to use their abilities, right?

So why waste precious product? Luckily for us, they didn’t know you’d been working with them already.

You saved us, hummingbird. You all did. Thank you. ”

“Your dad was a huge help, actually. He’s been distraught ever since you were taken,” Hayliel says softly.

I can’t find the words to reply. I don’t even want to think about what kind of pain he’s been in and the memories that must have surfaced from my capture. Far too similar to my mother’s death, I’m sure.

“How are you feeling?” Hayliel asks, her voice unsteady.

“Things are a little foggy. The healer said a few things that don’t make sense. He kept talking about miracles and limbs and—”

“She put you back together again, man. Good as new,” Theo says, causing Raphael to roll his eyes playfully.

“Or at least as good as you were before.”

I don’t respond to his joke. My gaze turns to the woman in my arms as I stare at her, unsure if I can believe what they’re all saying. She doesn’t need to hear my question out loud—not when she can read me like a fucking book.

“I don’t know how I did it or if I even really trust it, to be honest, but you have both your wings again. Auriel didn’t take that from you.”

Her words don’t feel real, and yet the ache of my shoulders tells me it’s the truth. “Thank you.” I lean forward, resting my forehead against hers. “And for the record, the only thing I couldn’t live without is you.”

Raphael and Theo grab chairs and move closer, each one finding some way to remain in physical contact with Hayliel. All of us are clustered around my bed with her at the center. It feels right. Like the plates of the world have shifted and we’re finally where we’re supposed to be.

Fuck. Being tortured really did a number on me.

The door opens, slamming against the wall behind it. I’m still drowsy and weak, but I damn near jump into action.

No. They will not take this from me.

But it isn’t Auriel or his horde of demon followers standing in the doorway.

It’s my father.

“I tried to give you some time, but I couldn’t wait any longer,” is all he says, taking me in from a distance.

He looks terrible, and I tell him as much. “Dad. You look like shit.” Worse than I remember him looking when Mom died, but that was a long time ago. Maybe my memories have faded. Archangels know I tried to bury them enough.

He barks a laugh. “Good to see your mental state is as good as it was before, at least.” He takes a step into the room as another figure appears behind him.

Cam and Mari rush through, not bothering to keep their distance like Dad is. I’m not surprised. This is probably a step up from the last few times they saw me. There’s no blood or other shit oozing from my open wounds, and I’m actually coherent.

“Thank the gods you’re alright,” Mari says while Cam talks with my dad, praising him for raising such a fine man and telling him how we wouldn’t have escaped if it wasn’t for me.

“What about you two? No injuries?” I look them over but don’t spot anything out of the ordinary. Mari wears an apron, which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Leave it to her to bake wherever she goes.

“Not a one,” Cam says, and I’m glad to see that spark of joy hasn’t faded.

Hayliel, Theo, and Raphael haven’t moved from where they crowd around me, and it’s only then that I remember all the fucking shit Hayliel hasn’t told her parents. Her Seraphim news, our weird relationship …

Her parents must sense it too, because their eyes immediately dart to where the guys are touching Hayliel. When she finally notices, she stiffens in my arms.

“Mom, Dad, there’s something I should tell you,” she says, before things can get any more awkward.

“Well, why don’t you tell us over here, honey?” Cam adds, eyeing the guys. “We know how much Zeke, your boyfriend , means to you, but that bed is quite small for one person, let alone two.”

Hayliel sighs but does as they ask, and although Mari tries to be quiet, I don’t miss the words she whispers. “He just survived an ordeal. Perhaps it’s not a good time to show affection to other men, right in front of him, no less.”

Aaand it’s more awkward. Great.

Hayliel laughs, her face turning a cute shade of pink. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Zeke is my boyfriend, that’s true. But so are Raphael and Theo. We’re all together.”

The room grows silent as we wait to see how her parents will react.

“Did you know about this?” Cam asks my dad from the side of his mouth.

He shakes his head. “But now that I do, I think I’d rather go back to not knowing.”