by Eva Brandt
I strained against the chains, trying to at least lift my head. As expected, it didn’t work. The metal was so heavy I couldn’t budge it at all.
Okay, new plan. I might have lost my wings, but some of my abilities had stayed with me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to shove away the shadow.
By now, my lovers and the archangels had undoubtedly figured out what had happened. Even if Metatron and the rest of his kind didn’t care, Sariel, Yeqon, and Azazel did. They’d search for me and they’d want to help me.
A memory of Uriel’s lessons flashed through my mind. I hadn’t attended his class a lot, but what I’d seen, I remembered, precisely because it had left marks.
During our first fateful class, Uriel had used his feathers and Shamsiel’s to channel his energy and cast that weird spell that had ended up hurting Shamsiel so badly. To this day, I wasn’t sure what its purpose had been, but I’d seen my lovers use feathers to enhance their powers too. They’d done it in the dome, when they’d shared their magic with me.
I didn’t have feathers, but maybe blood would work just as well. I could already taste the metallic fluid in my mouth anyway. In fact, I suspected I might have punctured a lung at some point. I would have cared a little more about it if I hadn’t been in such pain because of my back.
Taking a deep breath, I spat my bloodied saliva onto the ground. Instantly, I felt stupid. It wasn’t magical or anything. It didn’t start glowing, nor did it make me feel any better. It was just bloody spit. Literally. But it was a start. I hoped.
The fall of my hair kept my captors from seeing what I was doing, but there was no telling how long they’d be distracted by their mysterious conversation. Suppressing my dread, I used my tongue to spread the saliva and draw the symbol of Watcher Academy—the same one I’d seen above the gates of the school when I’d first arrived. It might not be something strictly related to any ritual, but it was the best idea I could come up with.
I expected it to be more disgusting than it was, but for a cave, the place was strikingly clean. There was next to no dust and no creepy crawlies. That made sense, I supposed. My knowledge of magic was limited, but I’d learned enough about how it worked to understand rituals needed pure environments.
Maybe I wasn’t so unlucky after all. The clean cave might very well make it easier for me to contact my lovers.
Once the winged symbol was as clear as I could make it, I tried to remember what Uriel had done to channel his power. Much to my dismay, I realized there hadn’t been anything in particular beyond the feathers.
Then again, this whole impromptu ritual of mine had very little in common with what Uriel had done, so maybe I shouldn’t be overthinking it at all. Just like before, I thought about my lovers. I remembered our first meeting. I didn’t have wings of my own anymore—in some ways, I never had—but the memory of their wings still stuck with me.
Silver. Crimson. Iridescent. Need. Warmth. Passion. Color. Everything they were, everything I’d wanted so badly. Maybe Uriel was right and I didn’t love them. But I wanted the chance to try, anyway.
It happened slowly. The miracle I was waiting for wasn’t instantaneous, but I felt the energy starting to accumulate in my spent body.
The pain grew more intense, but at the same time, my senses became sharper. All of a sudden, I could hear Cain and Fara speaking again. “Fine,” Cain said. “We’ll do things your way. I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but it might be a better option than resorting to my mother, at least for now.”
They hadn’t noticed what I was doing. In fact, they seemed to have discarded my presence altogether and were focusing on their own ritual.
This was my chance. Come on, come on.
Power built up inside me, slowly trickling through my veins in a strange mockery of Chinese water torture. Fara turned to look at me, and although I couldn’t actually see her, I felt her gaze on me again.
“Don’t go anywhere, angel. We’ll be right back, with a nice surprise for you.”
She hadn’t figured it out, thank God. I couldn’t expect my luck to hold. The cave was still dark, and angelic magic would stand out like a beacon. But only for a few seconds, if I could push myself a little further…
The cave lit up, but the bright flare didn’t come from me. The source of the light was somewhere behind me.
With superhuman effort, I managed to toss my head and look up. Through the curtain of my sweaty hair, I caught a glimpse of a pentagram.
Cain’s ritual was in progress.
Shadows licked over my skin, deceptive and alluring. Unlike before, they didn’t grab me, as if they could sense I was doing something that could harm them. But for whatever reason, their mistress didn’t notice and didn’t interfere. Maybe she was focusing on her own spell.
Words spilled from Cain’s lips, smooth and soft, like a melody. “Blood of my blood, answer my call.”
My head started to spin, the echoes of Cain’s magic crackling through my body.
“Soul of the fallen, heed my plea.”
Something nudged my center and I bit my lower lip to suppress a gasp. This was bad. Whatever Cain was doing, it was having an effect on me too.
“Power of my sin, bring back the innocent.”
The chains around my wrists tightened and tugged on my body. My spine buzzed, just like it had what seemed like ages ago, in The Celestial Realm.
“Magic of the defiant, come to the aid of your child.”
Just like that, the binding spell on me snapped. It was as if Cain’s ritual was tearing me apart, but also putting me back together. I couldn’t break free, not physically, but my spirit did better.
There was a sudden explosion and the cave wall to my right crumbled. Light spilled into the cavern, and this time, it was soothing, not blinding. It was so intense that it completely extinguished the burning pentagram.
Sariel, Azazel, and Yeqon burst inside, followed by a group of other archangels. Still face down, I couldn’t see them, but I heard them and felt them.
“Supreme Being help us,” I heard Raphael say. “What happened here?”
If the question was addressed to them, my lovers didn’t answer. In mere seconds, Azazel was by my side. When he touched the chains, the metal evaporated into fine mist.
“It’s all right,” he whispered. “Everything is going to be all right now. You’re safe.”
He pulled me into his arms, holding me with such care I almost couldn’t bear it. I wanted nothing more than to embrace the comfort he offered, fall asleep, and never wake up again.
But I was much too aware that Cain and Fara were still in the cave, and still a threat. I turned, just in time to see Sariel and Yeqon clash against a sphere of dark flame that surrounded my two captors.
“We’re not going to make it that easy for you, Watcher,” Fara said. “Come on. Give me a little workout.”
“You bitch,” Yeqon snapped. “Mikael should have killed you when he had the chance.”
Fara’s shadowy form swelled and the ground shook as the darkness came alive once again. “Don’t talk about my son. You don’t know anything about him, about the sacrifices I’ve had to make to have him.”
Sariel’s wings lit up, as bright as the dawn, chasing away the shadows. He didn’t bother providing a reply. He was completely focused on piercing the sphere, trying to reach Fara and Cain. A fiery blade burned in his hand, frighteningly similar to the one that had crippled me.
But it was just a sword and I refused to let the sight of it intimidate me. What mattered right now was to stop Cain and Fara.
It was more difficult than it should have been. The other archangels had teamed up to keep Fara’s strange summons at bay, and they were winning. Their blades sliced through the shadows like butter. But Fara’s goal wasn’t to defeat the celestial beings.
The shadows reformed, keeping the angels busy, just long enough to allow Cain to continue with his plan. He’d stopped chanting, but he was still very much focused on the spell. He didn
’t look well, sweat beading his brow and blood trailing down his lips. But the magic in the cave was intensifying, so whatever he was doing was working. And with Fara there, the celestial beings couldn’t reach him.
“She’s stalling!” I shouted. “Stop them! Stop the ritual!”
The angels listened. A burst of demonic light exploded from Yeqon’s iridescent feathers. Sariel’s sword glowed even more brightly. Azrael managed to join them and strike the sphere with his own blade.
The spell cracked, but it was already too late. Fire exploded out of Cain, and the blast sent everyone flying back. Azazel threw himself over me, shielding me with his wings. I felt him flinch when the fire struck him, but I wasn’t hurt.
It was only for a moment, and then, the magic died, extinguished into an utterly terrifying feeling of emptiness. My heart skipped a beat as I realized something very bad had just happened.
In the ensuing silence, Azazel got off me, allowing me to see the cave once again. It was at that moment that I realized what Cain had been trying to do.
Another man was standing next to Cain, completely naked, glowing with ominous power.
“It seems you’ve landed yourself in some trouble, dearest brother,” he drawled. “Now… What can I do to help?”
Cain got up, still looking a little shaky, but smiling. “Abel. Welcome back.”
* * *
Before I’d died and started my unwilling studies at Watcher Academy, I hadn’t given too much thought to religion. But naturally, I knew the story of Cain and Abel, and it had been to the forefront of my mind ever since the archangels had told me Cain had resurfaced.
Even so, I’d have never expected Cain to try to bring back his brother. Maybe I’d put Abel in the ‘dead’ category so firmly that it hadn’t occurred to me that he could be brought back at all. In hindsight, that had been stupid of me. I’d been dead too.
Either way, Abel’s return created a new problem. The angels went rigid, unhappy with this development. Azrael was the first to step in. “Abel, you’re not supposed to be here.”
“Oh, I know that, Angel of Death,” Abel replied, still smiling. “But as it so happens, I’ve grown sick and tired of standing by and watching how my family is slaughtered and used.”
Okay, that didn’t sound good. “Your brother was the one who killed you first,” Uriel pointed out, as always choosing to focus on the uncomfortable truth. “Have you forgotten?”
“I haven’t. But I’ll settle my scores with Cain later. For now, it’s time to deal with my other enemies.” He grinned, displaying a row of sharp, pointy teeth. “And I think it might be a good idea to start with you.”
Several things happened at the same time. Fara grabbed Cain’s arm and pulled him away. Abel lifted his hand and pointed his finger at Uriel. And Uriel’s chest exploded, splattering the floor with glowing blood.
“Would you look at that?” Abel commented, tilting his head. “Angels can bleed too.”
Uriel’s body crumpled to the floor, lifeless. The archangels weren’t deterred by Uriel’s fate. Raphael knelt next to him, whereas the others converged upon Abel, in perfect formation. Sariel and Yeqon joined them, while Azazel picked me up and started backing away. “Wait,” I told him. “Where are we going?”
“Anywhere that isn’t here,” he answered. “It’s much too dangerous for you.”
I couldn’t argue with that. In my condition, I wouldn’t be able to help my lovers. If anything, I’d just hinder them. But even knowing that, something told me I needed to stay, that Azazel and I could still help.
Maybe it wasn’t about me at all. If Azazel got me out of here, the angels would be losing a powerful soldier. Azazel needed to provide them with reinforcements, not focus on me.
“I’ll be fine,” I told him. “I can stay out of the way. Go help the others.”
Azazel opened his mouth, obviously intending to protest. Another loud blast stopped him from speaking. When we looked back at the others, we noted in horror that at one point when we’d been distracted, the battle with Abel had taken a serious turn for the worse.
It wasn’t that the angels were losing. They just didn’t seem particularly inclined to go all out in the fight. Several of the angels had abandoned their swords altogether and were trying to talk Abel down instead.
Considering the fact that they’d just watched their friend being killed, you’d think they’d be a little warier. But what did I know? I’d lost my wings so I didn’t have much say in this.
Azazel did, though, and he seemed to find the whole thing odd and alarming too. “Something’s not right with this picture. What the fuck are they doing? Why aren’t they taking him out?”
“He must have some kind of magic that protects him,” I mused.
It was the obvious conclusion, and it also didn’t help us much. Sariel and Yeqon seemed immune to whatever was happening, but they were having trouble getting close to Abel, because everyone else was in the way. It was almost ridiculous, really, like something out of a comedy movie.
Baffled, I watched an archangel trip on his own wings, the Benny Hill theme starting to run through my head. This made no sense. What kind of magic could do this to a celestial being?
Cain laughed, seemingly very satisfied with his accomplishment. “It’s nice to see my brother hasn’t changed, at least. What do you thing, beautiful? Are you enjoying the show?”
He was looking straight at me. I gulped, wondering if he realized this attack was my fault.
The answer came very quickly. “You know, I think I underestimated you,” he added. “Maybe Fara was right and I should have killed you. But that would have been such a shame. No, I think I’ll keep you instead.”
“Over my dead body, asshole,” Azazel spat at him.
“That could be arranged.” Cain grinned at him. “But seriously, Watcher, why do you want her to come with you? If you care about her, you must know that you didn’t do such a great job at protecting her. That nasty wound on her back… I know the work of an archangel when I see it.”
Azazel tensed even further. I hadn’t thought it was possible, but Cain’s comment had hit him where it hurt the most. I’d been right to think that he and the others would blame themselves for what had happened to me.
I refused to stand for it. “That’s none of your business and it’s not Azazel’s fault,” I told Cain. “Besides, it’s not like you’re in any position to speak. Your pet symbiote enjoyed torturing me very much. So why don’t you fuck off? Or better else, do us all a favor and die already.”
The words echoed in the room like a sentence. I didn’t expect them to hold any weight. I didn’t even intend them to have any effect. They did.
Still kneeling by Uriel’s side, Raphael lifted his eyes to look at me. Azrael danced out of Abel’s reach and looked back at me. “Oh, no,” they both said at the same time.
Cain let out a small breathy gasp. He clutched his chest, and his eyes rolled in his head. Then, he dropped down like a sack of potatoes, his magic dissipating like smoke in the wind. I didn’t need to check his pulse to know he was dead.
Abel saw his brother fall. Whatever issues he had with Cain, he clearly still loved his sibling enough to want to protect him. “Cain!” he shouted.
In his panic, Abel dropped whatever spell he had weaved around the angels. Or maybe it was Cain who’d been the one casting the enchantment in the first place. Either way, the archangels were suddenly far more organized. Two of them even reached Abel before he managed to blast them back, breathing hard and wide-eyed.
Much to my shock, I noticed Cain’s body was starting to turn into ash. I covered my mouth in horror. I hadn’t intended to do that and I hadn’t wanted it to happen. But it was my fault anyway, and Fara knew it.
Her summons reappeared, flickering, but temporarily buying Abel some time. “It’s the girl,” she bellowed. “She carries the power of Death. We have to stop her!”
She was welcome to try, but I hadn’t done anything in a co
nscious way. If I’d cast a spell on Cain, it had been involuntary, and I had no idea how to undo it.
Maybe Abel realized that, because he took one look at me and said, “I think it’s time to make a trade. A death for a death sounds fair, wouldn’t you say? No more games.”
I immediately knew what he intended, but dared to hope that my lovers wouldn’t be targeted. I should have known better.
“If I’m not mistaken, the Watchers are your little pets. Why don’t we find out how they look like from the inside out?”
From the inside out? What the fuck? I didn’t like the sound of that at all.
Abel’s power surged through the cave, and it had a different feel than anything I’d experienced in the past. When I felt it flow into me, my fears and bad memories drifted away. The world was a brighter, happier place.
I could see myself laughing with my family again, opening presents in front of our Christmas tree. I could hear my mother’s laughter, and it was full of honest joy and love. There was no more pain and doubt, just freedom.
And then, a heart-wrenching scream shattered the illusion. I snapped out of my trance, only to realize that at one point when I’d been out of it, Abel had achieved his goal.
My lovers were writhing and screaming on the ground. At first, their bodies melted away into the forms I’d seen in the mirrors at the Hall of Truth. It was awful, seeing them lose their limbs or even die right in front of me. Yeqon was clutching his face, and bright, glowing blood slid through his fingers from the grotesque wounds that had claimed his vision. Sariel leaned against the wall, trying to recover a fallen wing, only for his arm to be sliced off. Azazel was ripped right open, just like Uriel had been.
The moment Azazel’s blood splattered all over my face, something snapped inside me. I’d accepted dying. I’d admitted that maybe I didn’t love my Watchers as much as they deserved. Maybe on some level, I’d even understood why Ariel had attacked me.
But I would never understand or accept this. No matter what I’d done, I wouldn’t allow Abel to take out his resentment on my Watchers.
Icy hot fury surged through me, mingling with my anguish, my grief and my uncertainty. I pushed past my current physical limitations, no longer even caring if I proved Cain right and crippled myself. “Get away from them!”
