by C. S. Wilde
Her wings also failed at their main purpose. Every time she tried to fly, the naughty things would flap in an uncoordinated mess, crashing Ava mightily to the floor. Thank the Gods for her Dominion’s shield, otherwise she would’ve broken more bones than she could afford.
Ava stared up at Ezra as he hovered in the air, his nearly-white wings with gold tipped feathers beating in perfect synchrony. With his silver hair and bodysuit, he reminded her of the moon hanging in the sky.
“Show off,” she grumbled.
“Are you doing the back exercises I taught you?”
Ava wiped sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. They had battled for two hours, which was why Ezra had removed the upper part of his bodysuit and tied it around his waist, leaving his chest bare. Sweat contoured his defined muscles, amplifying his musky and metallic scent.
They had started with sword fighting, then proceeded with hand-to-hand combat, where Ezra mercilessly defeated Ava. She’d won one battle out of six, but the victory felt bitter-sweet. Liam had taught her how to move swiftly, how to overpower an enemy. And he wasn’t here.
The base of her throat tingled. “I do the exercises every day!”
According to Ezra, her back muscles needed to be strong to maintain movement mid-flight. Ava did her exercises religiously, but they had been futile. All she was left with was sore muscles and rebel wings.
Ezra raised one dark-silver eyebrow. “Doesn’t look like you’re doing them.”
She grumbled a curse as her wings flapped awkwardly behind her. Ava looked back at them pointedly. “How do you control these damned things?”
“They’re a part of you, but you’re seeing them as something separate.” He tapped his chin and angled his head. “Also, your back muscles need to be stronger.”
She rolled her eyes, then watched her hands. She moved her fingers, tracing the sensation back to some part of her brain.
If she could only replicate that with her wings …
At once, they flapped in unison. Once, twice. Ava glared back at them from her shoulder, a smile creasing her lips.
They flapped again and boosted her up.
Fingers moving. That’s all it was.
She focused on Ezra, and her wings pushed her up, following the beats of her heart, taking her higher and higher.
It worked!
She was about to reach the Messenger, who had his hand outstretched to hers, waiting.
A warm, giddy sensation spread inside Ava as she focused on his wide, proud grin. A gentle pull, a memory of the pull she’d felt with Liam, tugged at her. This sensation wasn’t simple lust, and it wasn’t simple care. This was complicated and intricate, like …
Love. The love she once felt for Ezra before she met Liam. The love that was coming to surface, and yes, it was more memory than feeling, but it was still there.
And it terrified her.
Ava’s wings disappeared in a flash. Her body felt lighter for a split second before gravity grabbed her with a vice.
Ava’s heart leapt to her throat as she free-fell to the ground.
Her golden shield spread atop her skin in an instant, and she braced herself for impact. But before she crashed, Ezra had her in his arms, his naked, sweaty chest firm against her body.
He landed softly, his gaze locked onto Ava’s as the shield vanished from her skin.
They were so close that she could feel his heart beating.
“Careful,” he murmured. “And focus. Why did your wings disappear?”
“I don’t know,” she lied.
Ezra gave her a mocking glance that came out too charming. “You can do better than that.”
Ava sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I guess they reacted to …” Fear of feeling something for you. “Insecurity,” she said instead, clearing her throat. “I thought I’d fall.”
“And so you did,” Ezra countered, his arms a stone bed beneath her. “Control your emotions, and you control your wings.”
She swallowed dryly, unable to break free from his loving glance. “Hopefully they’ll only come back once I summon them.”
He nudged his nose with hers. “Or maybe they’ll pop up whenever you feel …”
As if on cue, her wings flashed behind her.
Ava blushed furiously at Ezra’s naughty grin. She slapped his chest. “My wings come and go as they wish. It doesn’t mean I’m in any way aroused!”
“Oh, really?” He leaned forward, and against all common sense, Ava didn’t move away. “Shall we test your theory?” His voice was a sultry enchantment that froze all of her.
Ava caught herself lost in his musky, metallic scent and his warm, perfect body against hers. An aching sensation pooled in her most intimate parts.
Giving herself to Ezra could be so easy …the soft skin of his lips had almost reached hers, his breath mingling with Ava’s.
She immediately snapped out of whatever trance had taken hold of her and jumped to the ground, stepping away from him.
He frowned. “Why do you walk away from this? From us?”
“There’s no us,” she said through gritted teeth. Shame wrapped her with cold, sharp fingers.
“You loved me once, Ava.” He slammed both hands on his waist. “You still do. You might be a powerful Dominion, but I’m a high angel. Your feelings are so clear. Why do you fight them?”
“You’re seeing what you want to see.” A knot clogged her throat, and tears stung her eyes because there was truth to what he said. “Of course I love you, Ezra. As a friend.”
“I’m more than that,” he countered, his voice failing at the end. “I have to be.”
She didn’t want to hurt him. Their connection went deep but not in the way Ezra wanted it to. Not in the way Ava herself had once desired a long time ago, before Liam entered her life.
“I can’t give you what you want, Ezra. I’ve told you this from the beginning.”
The time for her and Ezra had passed, and he would have to come to terms with it. So would she, apparently.
Ezra looked at the door, biting his own teeth. “But you feel something …” He scoffed. “Never mind.”
She hugged herself, avoiding his stare.
The silence between them was a brick wall she hoped he wouldn’t break. She felt his gaze upon her, pressing for answers she didn’t have and didn’t want to give. Answers she couldn’t face.
Ezra let out a long breath. He shook his head as he studied his own boots. “Fine. We should get ready, then. After all, today is judgement day.”
Ava observed the glassed dome and the blue sky beyond it. Light poured through the surface and spilled over the courtroom ahead, highlighting the white marbled floor, stands, and visitors’ gallery. The vast courtroom felt empty in the way of cathedrals or maybe arenas. Ava couldn’t decide which.
Her steps tapped on the marbled floor and echoed around the place, breaking the silence.
A cathedral. Definitely a cathedral.
She placed herself on the white witness stand and nodded to the angel sitting higher up beside her, the woman who held her fate in her hands.
Agathe, the Throne.
Her judge.
“Welcome, Dominion Lightway,” Agathe said from her judge’s stand.
Ava bowed her head. “Thank you, my Throne.”
Ezra sat on the right-hand side of the visitors’ gallery, pointedly ignoring the angel who occupied the opposite edge.
His cold-shoulder treatment didn’t seem to bother Talahel. The Sword’s predatory hazel eyes were fixed on Ava.
Talahel’s orange hair was tied in a long braid, the sides of his temples shaved. Swirling tribal tattoos decorated his skin on both sides of his head. With his wine-red bodysuit that neared on black, he reminded Ava of a man dressed in blood.
She lifted her chin slightly, looking down her nose. A silent message that said she didn’t fear him.
He smirked.
“Dominion Lightway?” Agathe peered at Ava with obsidian irises th
at matched the slick raven hair cascading down her shoulders. Aligned with her black bodysuit, the high angel made a blatant contrast to the whiteness of the room.
Something scratched Ava’s mind the way a cat stretches out its claws.
Testing, warning.
The Throne was the head of all Erudites and Virtues, which meant her telepathic and telekinetic skills were unmatched in the entire Order. Her bodysuit was black, but her kilt silver, the opposite of the uniform used by her Virtues.
Ava swallowed and stared directly into those black irises, her words a whisper only judge and defendant could hear. “I believe, my Throne, that withdrawing information from an angel’s mind is against the will of the Gods?”
Heavens, if Agathe found out about the Legion …
“It certainly is.” The Throne angled her head, curiosity clear in her expression. “I’m surprised you have such a strong mental wall. Usually only Virtues can raise one such as yours.” She pointed a black-nailed finger at her. “Then again, compared to mine, it is a weak, puny wall.”
Ava couldn’t tell if Agathe had tried to offend her or state a simple fact.
“My Erudite sister has taught me how to raise one,” she explained.
The Throne studied her. “I suppose the light works in strange ways. I know you will speak the truth, Ava Lightway. I never peer into an angel’s mind, for I trust the Gods’ servants blindly.”
Well, perhaps she shouldn’t.
Talahel’s defense attorney, assigned by Agathe herself, occupied the council’s table on the left side. The desk on the right, where Ava’s defense should’ve been, was empty.
As if on cue, the wooden door slammed open, and a Dominion with brown wings and hair tied up in a bun entered. She carried paper folders and wore a white bodysuit with a silver kilt equal to Ava’s.
The only difference between a Guardian and a Dominion, aside from status and power, was the color of their kilts. A Guardian’s was white, a Dominion’s was gray.
Once Vera reached her desk, she winked at Ava, who gave her a quick wave.
Vera dropped on her seat, spreading her wings wide—clearly showing off. She casually threw her folders on the marbled table.
Agathe’s raven wings flashed behind her, obsidian black and majestic in the way only crowns or precious jewels could be. They were at least twice the size of Vera’s, and they were also a statement.
The Throne smiled at Vera, who countered with an easy, playful grin in return. In a flash of light, their wings disappeared.
“You’re late, Dominion Evestar,” Agathe noted.
The old owl shrugged in her chair, tying both hands over her stomach. “My apologies, my Throne.”
Agathe waited for Vera to continue, but no further explanation came. The Throne let out an exasperated sigh, then slammed her hand on the judge’s stand, using her strong palm as the gavel. “We shall commence.”
Talahel’s defense, Virtue Lisle, rose from his desk and fixed his glasses. He walked toward Ava’s stand. “Dominion Lightway, is it true you murdered an entire troop of Warriors?”
Ava’s fists clenched, and she pressed her lips tight. She wished she could tell everyone about Talahel, but she had no proof of his involvement with Gabriel’s deeds. Even worse, Talahel was the head of the Order’s army. Archangels and Warriors worshipped him, which meant fighting the Sword was reckless at best and stupid at worst.
Ava might be angry, but she wasn’t a fool. If she was to defeat Talahel, she would need concrete, damning proof that could shatter his people’s faith in him.
From the visitors’ gallery, Talahel gave her a defiant grin. The freckles on his skin made him look innocent and jovial.
Ava turned to the Virtue. “I was given the sword of revelation, and it freed the light of my essence in a way I couldn’t control.” She wore a mask of composure, avoiding yes or no answers like Vera had instructed her the week before. “It pains me to have hurt my brothers and sisters in the process, but that was never my intention.”
A lie. Those villains had deserved to die, and Ava was glad she’d done it even if unintentionally.
Virtue Lisle raised his brow. “You do understand that what happened makes you a danger to everyone around you?”
Ezra stood at once. “My Throne, Dominion Lightway’s explosive burst only happened because I gave her the sword of revelation. It has remained dormant since. Such an event will never happen again.”
She could only hope.
“Excuse me, my Throne.” Vera leaned back in her chair, that old, wise owl trapped inside her piercing stare. “Virtue Lisle’s comment is irrelevant. I motion for dismissal.”
Agathe nodded. “Dismissed.”
Ava frowned at them, not knowing what had happened. By his befuddled expression, neither did Lisle.
“The light can behave in strange ways, especially when it comes to Dominion Lightway,” Agathe explained like a patient parent. “Her essence has been under control since the event, and she’s been thoroughly examined. I see no reason to tag her as a danger to the Order. Stick to the questioning at hand, Lisle.”
The Virtue glanced at Agathe and then Vera, back and forth, his mouth open in confusion and shock.
Agathe motioned for him to go on, so he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Tell us the events of September thirteenth, when you killed Archangel Gabriel.”
“Before the Messenger killed him,” Ava corrected.
Vera didn’t look up from the papers she was casually reading. “Objection, my Throne. The counselor is misleading the witness.”
“Taken,” Agatha said.
Lisle’s cheeks flushed red, but he kept a composed demeanor.
As far as the Order knew, Ezra had killed Gabriel. After all, her essence’s explosion disintegrated a troop of Warriors. If the Order suspected Ava had also killed an Archangel, she would’ve faced her final death by now.
Virtue Lisle wrapped his hands behind his back and strolled across the room. “Indeed, the Messenger killed Gabriel because he had murdered Captain Shelly Abernathy and Selfless Liam Striker.”
“And Selfless Archibald Brennan,” Ava added.
The Virtue quickly addressed Agathe. “No proof was ever found of that, my Throne.”
“Defendant’s statement dismissed,” she agreed.
Ava exhaled slowly, trying to keep her anger at bay. Blood pounded under her skull, and her heart thumped in her ears. She hated that she sat here being questioned while Talahel was right there, utterly powerful.
Utterly free.
She wanted to tear his larynx from his throat, but without proof of his evil, she would start a civil war within the strongest branch of the Order. After that, all others around the world would likely fall.
No. Ava’s war had to be silent and unseen.
The Virtue walked back and checked some papers on his desk. Without turning to her, he said, “According to your statement, Archangel Gabriel talked about eliminating humans and In-Betweens to create a world of angels and demons.”
“Indeed.”
And Talahel was the mastermind behind it all. He’s sitting right there!
One deep breath. Then another.
Patience.
The Virtue nodded as if satisfied with her answer. “Scheming such evil might be possible for a human, but angels are the purest creatures the Gods created. Gabriel could’ve never—”
“Enough, Lisle,” Agathe said from the judge’s stand, her attention locked on Ava. “Dominion Lightway, your story matches the Messenger’s perfectly, though to no surprise since you’re mates.”
“That doesn’t compromise my testimony in any way,” she stated.
From her desk, Vera winced. Ava must’ve said something wrong.
The Throne snorted as if she was remembering a past life long forgotten. “Many human lawmakers would disagree with you. So would I, once. But the Order is different from human courts. The light of the Gods is strong within us.” She slammed her hand on her ma
rbled desk, and the dry thump swam across the room. “I’m ready to make a judgement.”
“But my Throne,” Lisle stammered.
Agathe raised one eyebrow at him, and the Virtue shrank beneath her stare.
“Talahel,” she said. “Gabriel murdered Captain Shelly Abernathy. His fingerprints were all over the body, especially her eye sockets. It was a cruel death. I believe the Messenger when he says Gabriel also murdered Selfless Liam Striker, though his body was never found.” She slammed her hand on the marbled surface twice, each thump as loud as an iron hammer. “You will make sure none of your Warriors or Archangels behave in such despicable manner again. If they do, you’re hereby ordered to grant them the final death.”
Talahel stood from his bench and bowed his head to her. “I shall, my Throne. However, we do not know what this Captain did to deserve such fate.”
Agathe’s lips twitched in horror. “You say it was her fault that Gabriel tortured her before ending her life?”
“I do not excuse Gabriel’s actions; I simply say he wasn’t a madman. The reactions reported in this court do not seem like him.”
A storm whirled inside Ava, her very bones shaking with fury. She opened her mouth to argue, but Ezra’s glare stopped her. It begged her to wait.
Losing her temper might be exactly what Talahel wanted.
“There’s a reason why our courts are guided by evidence, my Sword,” Agathe said dryly.
“Indeed.” Talahel wrapped both hands behind his back. “I shall make sure none of mine behave in such despicable way again. However, Dominion Lightway has murdered an entire troop, either by accident or sheer will. I demand retribution.”
“Dominion Lightway.” Agathe turned to her. “You’re hereby declared innocent of the events of September thirteenth. Keep doing the Gods’ work.” She raised one thin eyebrow at Talahel. “Revenge is not the way of the Gods, brother. You should pray for forgiveness. Teach yours by example, my Sword.”
He bowed to her and placed a hand on his chest. “Yes, my Throne. It’s been a difficult time for me.”
