Chapter Seven
Every muscle in my body tensed with excitement, but I tried to stay calm. I couldn’t be that Angel, who completely freaked out upon meeting Michael. I was a warrior, a slayer, and this was the time to be respectful and show him that I was capable of all that was to come.
We filed down the pathway away from the plaza and toward a towering building that seemed to be at the center of everything. It glittered so brightly that I could barely look at it in the sunshine, yet it was difficult to keep my head down as I walked forward. I wanted to bask in the vision of it all, to have it all firmly imprinted upon my mind.
There were many other Angels around us as we made our way toward the building. The men and women were all dressed the same way as Ember and I were. I noticed Ember scanning their faces, likely looking for the two initiates we had met back at Good Spirits, but I couldn’t even remember what they looked like.
The pathway widened as it led up to a set of double doors at the base of the building. They were sculpted from a pure white marble, carved with fantastic images just as the portal door had been. I reached out a hand as I passed through, unable to resist touching the smooth faces of past Angels hewn in the cool stone.
Inside, the coolness of the building replaced the warmth of sunshine. It was refreshing, like dipping into that fountain I had resisted outside. The double doors led to a massive throne room. An immense chair of solid gold sat at the far end, the finials on the back composed of giant emeralds. It was empty, but it held a certain type of energy that bespoke of its soon-to-be occupant. The ceiling rose far above our heads, so high that I wondered if it went all the way to the top of the tower. Stained glass windows circled every level, climbing higher and higher and creating a marvelous kaleidoscope of color on the white walls. Shards of cobalt, plum, and amber dazzled my eyes and forced me to look down again.
We assembled in long lines across the width of the throne room, silently shuffling into place and glancing at each other in anticipation. For the first time since I had left Los Angeles, my mind turned to Jonah. I glanced at the faces around me, half-expecting to find him. By all rights, he should have been there as well. He was talented and strong, an excellent slayer who deserved this honor just as much as any of the rest of us did. If I had been called to the Legion, then, why hadn’t he?
But as the crowd settled down, I turned toward the front of the room and clasped my hands in front of me. This wasn’t the time to think about anything but the impending ceremony.
Ember nudged me with her elbow. “Can you believe this? I think I’m going to throw up.” Her eyes were watery as she tried to take it all in.
“It’s okay.” I took her hand and squeezed it. “I feel the same way, Em.”
A small door in the back corner of the room opened and a tall, slim Angel walked through it. He was dressed in garb similar to ours, but he had a thick gold cord tied at his waist. “Please pay respect to the almighty Prince of the Archangels, Defender of the Faith, Protector of Heaven and Earth, and Leader of God’s army.”
Everyone quickly obeyed the Angel, our heads dropping in respect momentarily before looking back up in anticipation. There was another set of double doors behind the throne, and I expected that Michael would walk through them. Instead, he descended from the top of the tower, floating down toward his throne from above. His wings were extended, but he drew them in as he landed gracefully.
“Welcome. You are here by special invitation to become members of the Legion of Angels. You should each be proud of all that you have done to rid the world of evil.”
I had been frustrated as a child when my mother couldn’t quite describe High Command or what she had seen there. Simply hearing Michael’s voice was something unbelievable. A rush like the surge of the oceans pulsed inside my chest, rising and falling, leaving me breathless. My skin was alive and tingly, and I stood straight and proud, eager to hear more.
“Soon, you will be divided into groups, and your training will begin. You will work closely with your group to develop new skills, strengthen existing ones, and prepare for your work within the Legion.” He seemed to address each one of us individually as he spoke, his eyes drifting from one Angel to the next.
I studied him closely, soaking in every bit of him. His armor consisted of a golden breastplate and greaves, illustrating his position as a protector. Each piece of metal was chased in a brilliant line of iridescent silver, including the long scabbard he wore at his hip. The armor was finely worked, but it was sparse enough to still show off the rest of his body. His arms were muscled and toned, each cord showing beneath his skin. His legs, too, had long hard lines. The tunic he wore underneath was a soft white material that shimmered with gold as he moved.
In fact, every part of him seemed to be made of gold. His blond hair, hanging in curly waves down to his shoulders, had variations of shade in it giving it an effect of infinite depth. Even from my position, I could see that his eyes were a deep brown, and were filled with immeasurable wisdom from centuries gone by. Michael’s wings were massive, the tops of them towering well above his head. With tinges of gold glistening in each feather, they created a remarkable iridescence that only increased the amount of light in the room.
He stood from his throne, and it was clear that we were all transfixed by his every movement. He was positively majestic, a creature fascinating even to fellow Angels.
The Angel who had announced Michael now held a long scroll in his hands. “Violet Visse, please step forward.”
Violet had shining, straight hair of chestnut brown that fell in her face slightly as she rushed up the steps toward the throne. As soon as her feet gained the top step, she fell to her knees.
Michael laid his hand on her head, his palm on her forehead and the tips of his fingers reaching well past her crown. “Violet Visse, you are called to the Legion of the Angels for your scientific efforts and the work you have put into creating new weapons to fight evil. I have no doubt that your talent and skill will assist us here in the armory, and that it will only be increased under the tutelage of our masters.” He removed his hand and bid her to rise.
As soon as the Angel was on her feet, Michael handed her a small slip of parchment that had appeared in his great hand. She took it gratefully and skittered back into the crowd.
I squeezed Ember’s hand again as I realized what this meant. We were being split into groups, Michael had said as much, but we wouldn’t know what groups we were in until we met our teammates later. I hoped that Ember and I would be placed together, and that if we weren’t, she’d find someone else who could help calm her nerves and reassure her when needed.
Several more Angels were called and praised, and I heard them whispering to each other about their slips of parchment. The room was crowded, and shoulders bumped and jostled as everyone shifted slightly to make way for those who had the privilege of going forward to Michael.
“Ember Thayne.”
I had time for one last squeeze of her hand before she walked toward the stairs, nearly floating in her wonderment. I felt goosebumps crop up on my arms as I watched my dear friend take her place before Michael. She carefully stepped up to the Archangel and nearly collapsed in front of him.
“Ember Thayne, you have shown great dedication in ridding the world of evil. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty in light of the limited training that you’ve had, and it lets the rest of us in the Legion know that you will only continue to do so.” He slipped Ember her scrap of parchment and released her back into the crowd.
Her face was pale as she came back down the stairs, but a tremble of a smile played on her lips. She clutched the piece of paper so tightly that it wrinkled at the corner, but I could still read what it said: Arena 4. She put her other hand back in mine and shifted her weight from foot to foot, unable to find a comfortable position.
I paid little attention as other Angels were called, but when my name pealed from the lips of the page, I sucked in a nervous breath. It was easy enough to tell Ember not to worry or to be afraid, but it was an entirely different thing to listen to my own advice. My feet moved automatically up the stairs, the thin sandals allowing the coolness of the marble to transfer to my skin. As I reached the top, I knew why the other Angels had seemed to collapse as they knelt before this Prince of Angels—the weight of being in his presence was almost too much to bear. His hand, however, was the lightest touch on my head, as though when he made contact, he released all the stress and pressure that had been building up.
“Rumor Allister.” It was an even headier feeling to hear him say my name instead of the page. “You come from a long line of Angels who have dedicated their lives to the Legion. You have done your part to continue that legacy by ridding the world of the evil that threatens its very existence, and for that, I thank you. I have the utmost respect for your parents, and I know that you will continue the good work in their name.”
Tears traced molten streaks down my cheeks. My parents had fought so hard for the Legion, and they had sacrificed so much. I did not cry in front of others. I simply did not. But there was no choice in the matter on that auspicious day, and as I looked up into Michael’s face, I thought I might cry and cry for the rest of my life, never stopping. I wished that my parents could know that I had followed dutifully in their footsteps. I wished that they could be waiting just outside the tower to hug and congratulate me before I made my way to my assigned arena. I wished, I wished, I wished.
“You have been through many trials,” he whispered for me alone. “You are very strong.” The slip of paper made its way into my hands without my knowledge, and I drifted back toward the crowd.
It was only a short distance to the throne, but it seemed to make all the difference in the world. I dried my tears, wiping them away with the back of my hand and taking several deep breaths to regain my composure as more Angels were announced and praised. Now it was Ember’s turn to squeeze my hand, and I appreciated the gesture. I hadn’t known what to expect the Archangel to say, but I hadn’t imagined it would be anything about my parents. Michael had evoked stronger images and feelings in my mind than I had ever allowed myself to have.
Blinking to clear my vision, I looked down at the thin piece of paper between my fingers. I held it lightly, barely even touching it, and its lightweight made it feel like an illusion. Arena 1. My eyes met Ember’s for only a moment. The next name the page called caught my attention and pulled it back toward the front of the room.
“Jonah Wilder.”
His name thundered through the room and through my body. I stood frozen as I watched Jonah make his way from the back of the crowd. He was just as gorgeous as I remembered him from our night of slaying, and maybe even more so in that white tunic and trousers. Unlike most of us, he didn’t look nervous. The chiseled features of his face were calm, as though he had been here before. I felt my heart surge as I saw how the light reflected in his hair, picking out strands of gold and vermilion that I hadn’t been able to see by the moonlight. Jonah was like a gravitational force, pulling me in instantly.
“Jonah, you have been summoned to the order for your warrior heart and your commitment to ridding the world of darkness.” I swore that Michael was even taller as Jonah knelt under his hands—his shoulders had rolled back slightly, and his wings were spread wide. “I hold you to the oath you are about to take just as I do all others. As my son, I know you will do everything in your power to protect your fellow Angels, as well as all innocent creatures in Heaven and on Earth.”
I blinked. I hadn’t heard that correctly. I couldn’t have. If he was Michael’s son, if his father really was the Prince of Archangels, then wouldn’t he have told me that? It was a pretty important piece of information, and certainly something worth sharing.
“Of course, Father.” Jonah’s voice was much softer than that of Michael’s, but I heard it nevertheless.
I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was staring at him when Jonah rose and came back down the marble steps to the crowd. His gaze met mine and held it, and instead of returning to his original place at the back of the ranks of Angels, he came right toward me. I willed my heart to slow down in case he heard its thundering pace.
His hand reached out and grazed my hip, and for just a moment we stood almost face to face. My head tipped up toward his, and if we hadn’t been standing in the throne room at High Command, I knew the moment would have ended differently.
But he moved his hand and turned to stand next to me. I could feel the heat from his body radiating through the thin fabric of his clothing, and it pulled and tugged at me with an intensity I wouldn’t have expected.
“I knew you would be here,” Jonah whispered.
I kept my face toward the front of the room, but I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He had that smirk on again, the one that made me want to slap him or kiss him, or maybe both. “I suppose your father told you,” I replied quietly. As easy as it was for the page to make his voice heard, I was worried that mine would carry in the room as well. I didn’t need the other Angels, more particularly Michael, to hear me talking with his son.
Jonah’s laugh was soft and low, barely audible amongst the shuffling and worrying of the others. “He didn’t have to. I know a warrior when I see one.”
I knew I should save my questions, and irritation, for later, but I just had to know. Maybe Jonah would be open to communicating with me telepathically. We hadn’t talked in our minds before, so it was possible he would ignore me. But I couldn’t wait until the ceremony was done before asking. Lowering my psychic shield, I reached out to his mind. Why didn’t you tell me? I realized how little attention I was paying to everything else going on around me. Now that I had seen Jonah, I hadn’t heard any of the other names being called, or the reasons they were here. At some point, I had even let go of Ember’s hand. I felt like an ass. But only he, and the answers he could provide, existed in this moment. I left my mind open, hoping he would answer.
He cocked an eyebrow. Tell you what? He was looking at his father, but his attention was completely on me. That you would be called to join the Legion of Angels? I had no idea… I mean, I figured you would be because you’re an awesome slayer, but it’s not like I knew for certain.
I snorted slightly. That’s hard to believe. I guess you also didn’t think it was your place to tell me who your father was. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I resented him a little for that one. He was someone important, and I was a fool not to realize it. I needed to school my thoughts, so that he didn’t pick up on them. Telepathic communication left our minds more vulnerable to our secret thoughts and feelings being heard in addition to conversation.
Jonah shrugged, a gentle lifting of his shoulders that only emphasized all of that hard muscle. It wasn’t important. I didn’t really think about it.
Nearly every Angel had been called at this point, and I knew our time to talk was nearly at an end. Still, you had the advantage over me. You knew who I was and who my parents were. It doesn’t seem quite fair. I tried not to sound as miffed in my mind as I was. Part of me still wanted to slap him…and kiss him.
He smirked, obviously having read my unchecked thoughts. He shifted slightly so that the side of his body touched mine. His warmth seemed to seep straight through my skin and into my bones, forcing me to relax when I really wanted to be on guard. I’ll have to find some way to make it up to you, he promised.
Up at the front of the room, Michael sent the last Angel back into the crowd and raised his hands in the air to get everyone’s attention. “Angels, know that you are here because you are the most gifted of warriors. Many of you have not realized your true potential yet, but I promise that your training will take you there. You begin tomorrow, and I ask that you put every bit of effort into this training that you can. It will prepare you for everything ahead, and despite the vast numbers of demons that you have all slayed, there are many more evil creatures in the world that need to be destroyed. At the end of your training, you will receive your first mission. I thank you for your presence here. God bless.” With a grand, sweeping bow, Michael once again rose into the air and disappeared amongst the shafts of life that ricocheted around the inside of the tower. There was no chance for questions, and nobody would have dared to ask them anyway.
“My father was always one to make a grand exit,” Jonah remarked.
On my other side, Ember leaned in and whispered, “I’ll catch you later.” She was out the door in a flash, following the other Angels as they filtered back out into the sunshine.
Jonah walked with me, and I was suddenly aware of how much attention we were getting. Several other Angels glanced at us pointedly, their eyes flicking from me to him and back again as though wondering just what the relationship was between us. I wondered myself, but I wouldn’t ask him.
He seemed completely oblivious to the extra attention as he walked along beside me. “You know, I’m so happy that you’re here with me. The timing couldn’t have worked out any better.”
I shot him a wry grin. “You won’t think that when I’m done with you. I have more questions than you can imagine.”
Laughing fully now that he was no longer restricted by the ceremony in the tower, he put his arm loosely around my waist. “Ask away, but I promise that I don’t know much more than you do.”
I wanted to shove his arm off me, to stare him down and ask him how he dared do such a thing. Flirting wasn’t going to get him off the hook. Except that wasn’t completely true. He was hard to resist, even when he wasn’t trying all that hard.
“How could that be? Your father is the leader of God’s army, for crying out loud. You’ve got to know a lot more than I do.” And I felt some bitterness bubbling up inside me at the thought. I didn’t like the idea of someone having privileged information that I didn’t.
“Really. I was raised by my mother. Sure, I saw my dad every year, but it was always very formal. It’s not like I even really know him.” He reached out his free hand to run it down the soft leaves of the bushes next to the path.
This surprised me. Jonah was an amazing slayer, and I had assumed once I knew who his father was that his talents had come from early training from a hands-on type of father. “Oh. Really?” I asked lamely.
He nodded. “Michael’s not exactly a typical Angel, so he’s not the typical father, either.”
“Didn’t it bother you not to have him around?” I shouldn’t have asked such a question, but it rolled off my tongue before I had a chance to stop it. It was hard for me to believe that Jonah was okay with his father not playing an active role in his life. My parents had been taken from me a long time ago, and I still missed them desperately.
“Not really. I didn’t know any differently. My mom was amazing, and I always had a pretty good feeling that I would eventually come into the Legion for further training. I don’t mean that to sound cocky, though.” He shot me a glance as though he thought I might growl at him.
“No, I get it,” I assured him. Though that wasn’t entirely true. I missed my parents like crazy, and if I knew that they were out there somewhere, I would do everything I could to get them back.
“You’ve gotta understand,” he continued, “that Michael has more children than just me. He’s been alive for a long time, and there are a lot of us. It’s different for Angels who fall in love with humans. The human world is fraught with perils and their lifespans are so much shorter than Angels. So, over the years there have been many products of Michael’s love for humans. In fact, I doubt there are too many Angels here that I’m not related to, at least distantly in some way.”
I glanced around surreptitiously, looking for others who represented the bloodline. Now that I knew, I didn’t know how I ever could have missed it. Jonah had the same aquiline features as his father. Only his coloring was a bit different.
“I guess that makes sense.” Maybe he had been serious when he said he didn’t have any special privileges at High Command.
As we walked past several buildings that all sat close to each other, Jonah grabbed my hand and dragged me into one of the alleyways formed by the structures. The shadows here were deep, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust. When they did, Jonah’s face was close to mine and his eyes were urgent. He pushed me gently up against the wall of one of the buildings, the surface smooth at my back. “I really am glad to see that you’re here.”
Everything I had thought over the past week came swirling to the forefront of my mind. I had thought about him constantly since we’d met, and he had swiftly become a haunting presence in my mind. Only the invitation to the Legion and then the journey to High Command had managed to take up more space in my head than he did, but now that I was here, he was suddenly the most important thing once again. I wanted to ask him where he had been over the past week and why he hadn’t tried to get in touch with me. I wanted to growl at him for not telling me everything, and I wanted to hug him for letting it all be a surprise. More than anything, my body craved him.
He didn’t wait for me to answer. Thank God, he wasn’t in my head at the moment, but I swore he must have seen everything in my eyes, and he knew. Jonah dipped his head and pressed his lips to mine, pushing me harder into the wall. I didn’t care. I needed him. Badly. I took the lead this time, running my fingers through his soft hair and inviting him to deepen the kiss. Our tongues danced, lashing and exploring each other, and he ran his hands down my sides and settled them on my hips.
I hadn’t ever met someone who had done this to me. Sure, there were gorgeous Angels, and I had dated a few of them over the years. But those relationships had been like lighting a flame under a pot of water. There was the potential for it to boil, but it took a while. Jonah was different, igniting an inferno inside of me that was as intense as my Holy Fire. Unbidden, images of taking him back to my room raced through my mind, and I felt my center contract with desire.
Just as suddenly as it had begun, Jonah pulled away. I hadn’t realized how warm his skin had been until I felt the cool air between us. I longed to reach out and pull him back toward me, to tell him that he wasn’t going anywhere, but we both knew better.
“I should go find Ember.” My voice was throaty, no longer working quite right. I watched his lips, his chin, his chest, everywhere but his eyes.
“Yeah. I have…things I have to do as well.” He trailed a finger down my jawline before stepping out of the alley. I had a moment to admire the way the sun danced on his wings before he took off and was gone.
As I turned toward the dormitory, I realized that I hadn’t asked him what arena he had been assigned to.