The Angel Trials- The Complete Series

by Michelle Madow

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Just try it,” she said, pouring some for him. “Trust me.”

  He gulped down all the water in his glass in a few seconds. “Incredible,” he said once he was finished.

  I reached for the pitcher and poured myself a glass, trying some of this special water for myself.

  It tasted like normal water.

  “I don’t get it,” I said, looking around at the others for answers. “What’s so special about this water?”

  5

  Noah

  “Before drinking it, I was thirsty,” Thomas said darkly. “For blood. But somehow, that water took away my thirst. Which shouldn’t be possible. The only thing that should be able to do that is actual blood.” He turned his focus to Dahlia. “What did you put in the water?” he asked.

  “I didn’t put anything in the water,” she said. “The water in that pitcher is Holy Water. All fresh water on Avalon is Holy Water.”

  “The water that angels have to dip weapons into to turn them into Holy Weapons,” I said, brushing my fingers against my slicer in my weapons belt.

  “Exactly.” Dahlia nodded. “When consumed by vampires, Holy Water refreshes them just like human blood. Therefore, vampires on Avalon don’t need blood. Everyone here can survive on mana and Holy Water alone. Although, we do serve alcohol on special occasions. Because what fun is life without a bit of wine?” She laughed, clearly amusing herself.

  How could a person be so perky?

  “I’m more of a beer guy myself,” I said casually.

  “We have that, too.” She smiled, not picking up on how annoying I found her overly perky attitude to be. Or she didn’t care.

  “Back to the subject of Holy Water,” Thomas said, always the one to stay focused. “How much of it is on Avalon?”

  “It’s endless,” Dahlia said. “Avalon supplies what its citizens need. Everyone here is well taken care of. I promise you that.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” He leaned forward, looking like the gears in his brain were working on overdrive. “Because we need to export it to vampires around the world.”

  Dahlia frowned, suddenly somber. “Jacen said the same thing at first,” she said. “But he discovered that just like mana, Holy Water loses its magic once it’s brought past the boundary. Both mana and Holy Water must be consumed on Avalon to be effective.”

  Thomas deflated, Dahlia’s words taking the hope straight out of him. He was back to the steel hard, down to business Thomas we all knew and loved. Well, tolerated.

  “Now that you have food and water, it’s time to continue with the orientation,” Dahlia said. “It’s my job to assign all new supernaturals positions on Avalon. We’ll start with each of you telling me your strengths and weaknesses.”

  “What is this?” Bella chuckled. “Circle time?”

  “What’s circle time?” I asked.

  “Something we had to do at school when we were kids,” she said simply.

  “Right.” I nodded, still having no clue what she was talking about. Growing up in the wild, I’d never had school in the traditional sense that the supernaturals living alongside the human community had experienced. We learned about the land and how to survive in it and contribute to the pack from the elders. But we did gather in circles to tell stories, which might have been similar to this “circle time” Bella was talking about.

  “Who wants to start?” Dahlia looked around our group, waiting for someone to begin.

  I plucked another piece of mana from the platter and took a large bite. Someone else could share his or her strengths and weaknesses first. I wanted to eat.

  “I guess I’ll start,” Jessica said timidly.

  “Wonderful.” Dahlia brought her hands together and beamed. “Why don’t you start with your greatest strength?”

  “My greatest strength is my gift of telling lies from truths,” Jessica said quickly. “But my gift is also my weakness, since I don’t know how it’s grown since I’ve turned into a vampire. I was only turned a few days ago. I can’t fight or use my heightened senses like Thomas can. It’s all a blur of new information, and it’s confusing. I think I only got through the simulation we had to pass to get here because of sheer luck.”

  “No one gets to Avalon because of luck,” Dahlia said. “If you didn’t deserve to be here, then you wouldn’t be here. Simple as that. There are reasons for everything that happens in life. We might not know what those reasons are yet, but it doesn’t make them less real.”

  Jessica nodded, which I guessed meant Dahlia was telling the truth. Or at least the truth as she believed it. Which led to an interesting question…

  “How exactly does your gift work?” I asked Jessica. “For instance, let’s say someone thinks something is the truth, but what they think is the truth is wrong. Would you be able to tell that the truth they believe to be true is incorrect?”

  I hoped I’d explained that properly. Because it put me in circles thinking about it.

  “I can only tell if someone is telling the truth as they believe it,” she said. “For example, let’s say two people of different religious beliefs were telling me about their faith. Both of what they were saying would register as true, because they believed it. My gift can’t tell me what’s true or not in the world. It simply tells me if someone is being honest with me—as they know it—or if they’re lying.”

  “Interesting,” I said. “Thanks for clearing that up.”

  “Yes,” Dahlia chimed in. “It certainly is very interesting.”

  Dahlia just couldn’t handle not leading a conversation, could she?

  “And don’t worry—there’s a place for you in Avalon,” she assured Jessica. “But I’m going to listen to everyone’s strengths and weaknesses before making those places official. So… Bella. How about you go next?”

  “That’s easy,” Bella said. “My strength is dark magic—both potions and spells. My weakness is close combat.”

  “You did a great job fighting those demons in the bunker,” I pointed out.

  “We were invisible,” she said. “It made it easier. I mean, I’m not terrible at close combat—if I were, I wouldn’t have been a good choice to join you on that mission—but it’s definitely a weak spot of mine. When it comes to fighting, I prefer doing it from a distance. Like when I shot those potion bombs at Abaddon’s Locust in the field.”

  I remembered the moment well. She’d shot complacent potion at the Locust to give Thomas and me an advantage over the monster.

  I also guessed she didn’t mention the type of potion bomb on purpose. Complacent potion was illegal. Any witch found creating it would be brought to the Haven, where she’d have a trial that would end up in her magic being stripped.

  “Thanks for sharing,” Dahlia said, turning her focus to Thomas and me. “Which one of you wants to go next?”

  I took another huge bite of the mana and chewed, staring at Thomas in challenge.

  I wasn’t sure why I wanted to go last.

  Maybe I wanted to hear everyone else’s weaknesses before I admitted mine.

  “Since Noah is lacking table manners, I suppose I’m up next,” Thomas said, which only prompted me to make my next bite of mana even larger. He cleared his throat, and continued, “My strength is my gift with technology. And my weakness is luxury cars.”

  Dahlia’s eyes flashed with confusion.

  I had to stop myself from laughing, since my mouth was full of mana.

  “I take it you’re joking?” Dahlia asked.

  “No.” Thomas straightened his cuffs and sat back. “I truly have a weakness for luxury cars. You should see my garage at the Bettencourt.”

  “You should,” I agreed, now that I’d finished chewing. “It’s pretty impressive.”

  “Was that a compliment?” Thomas stared at me in pretend shock.

  “Don’t get too excited,” I joked. “I was complimenting the cars. Not you.”

  He smirked, and I couldn’t help returning t
he look. Mainly because Dahlia’s irritated expression made her appear slightly constipated. And I could tell we were both amused by it.

  If someone had told me weeks ago that Thomas Bettencourt was going to grow on me, I’d never believe them. I still didn’t quite believe it.

  Strange things happened when you were forced to work with your enemies to help save the world.

  “Seriously,” Dahlia said. “What’s your real weakness?”

  Thomas glanced out the window across from him, his eyes going dark and distant. It was like he was no longer in the room with us.

  Everyone stopped moving and eating. Silence descended upon the room like a wet blanket.

  “Sage Montgomery,” Thomas finally said. “She’s my weakness. She’s been my weakness since the moment I met her, and she’ll be my weakness for the rest of my immortal existence.”

  6

  Noah

  “Who’s Sage Montgomery?” Dahlia asked.

  “Sage is the love of my life, and the shifter I’ve imprinted on,” Thomas said. “She and her pack have been blood bound with the greater demon Azazel. To break the bond, Azazel needs to be killed. I’d do it myself, but we all know that only the Nephilim can kill Azazel. That’s why I came to Avalon. To work with the Nephilim and rescue Sage.”

  Dahlia’s breathing grew shallow as Thomas spoke. She looked around the room like a bird trapped in a cage, refusing to look at Thomas. A rusty scent rose from her skin. Anxiety.

  “You’re anxious,” I said to her. “Why?”

  The scent amplified when I spoke. But she turned to me and smiled, her face a mask of calm. Anyone without supernatural shifter senses wouldn’t have been able to tell how worried she was.

  “The blood binding spell you speak of is an ancient spell,” she said quickly. “The knowledge of how to cast it was supposedly destroyed with the witch circle that created it. If Thomas is correct and the spell is being used again… we’re in for a harder fight than anticipated.”

  “Of course I’m correct,” Thomas said. “After the blood binding spell was completed, I saw Sage myself. She wasn’t Sage anymore. She was a shell of who she used to be. If even.”

  “This is grave news.” Dahlia lowered her head in respect, refusing to look at any of us. “I’ll send word to the Earth Angel once we finish up here. Thank you for sharing, Thomas.” She paused to collect herself. “Now, we have one more left.” She faced me, worry still in her eyes. “Your turn, Noah.”

  “My strength is close combat in my wolf form,” I said. “Although I’m skilled with swords and knives in my human form as well. And my weakness…” I looked down at my empty plate, embarrassed at what I was about to say. But everyone else had admitted their weaknesses. I could do it too.

  So I pulled myself together and forced myself to meet Dahlia’s eyes.

  “I don’t know how to read or write,” I said. “The packs in the Vale were at war constantly, each pack fighting for control over the best land. So we were always moving around. I know how to hunt, how to live off the land, how to find shelter, and how to fight. But reading and writing weren’t necessary to survive in the Vale. So I never learned. All of our history, stories, and knowledge were passed down orally through the elders.”

  “Thank you for sharing,” Dahlia said with a polite nod. “I can tell that wasn’t easy for you. But you’ll be happy to know that members of the Vale packs are here at Avalon. They also came to us unable to read and write, and we’ve been successful in teaching them. I’m sure you’ll pick up on it just as easily.”

  “You’re going to teach me?” I asked, stunned.

  “Of course.” She raised her chin, as if anything else was unacceptable. “Well, not myself specifically. But we have teachers here for that. You’ll be learning how to read and write for half of your day, and training shifter students for the other half of the day.”

  “Training them in what?” I asked.

  “Fighting, of course,” she said. “The wolves from the Vale are skilled in combat, which makes sense, given the volatile history of the area. But there are also shifters who have come to us from more urban environments. Not many, mind you—most shifters tend to prefer living in the great outdoors—but there are some. They need a good teacher. And if rumor proves true, you’re one of the best fighters around. Especially when it comes to fighting demons.”

  “I killed ten demons and brought their teeth here to prove it,” I said. “So yeah, I’m not so bad at it.”

  “As I thought,” she said, continuing on to focus on the others. “Bella, you’ll be working with the Avalon witches on creating potions and casting spells. Thomas will be the leader of our new technology team, which will be responsible for creating and maintaining internet connectivity throughout the island and with Earth, along with any other technological help that will benefit Avalon. Jessica will be a student at Avalon Academy, and will be introduced to life as a vampire and taught how to fight. I’ll send word to your superiors about your assignments. Does anyone have any questions?”

  “I do,” I said, and all eyes turned to me. “You said I’ll be training shifters. But while Raven and I were on the road, I started training her. I want to continue training her to prepare her for the Angel Trials.”

  “Absolutely not,” Dahlia said. “There are strict requirements to train for the Angel Trials. Our head trainers at the academy have it covered. Raven is in the best of hands with them.”

  I sat back, annoyed. Because on one hand, I understood what Dahlia was saying. Raven needed the best training possible to get through the Angel Trials. Seeing as I knew nothing about the Trials, I understood why I wouldn’t be top pick for the job.

  But I loved Raven. No other trainer would care as much about her progress as I did.

  So I was going to help her prepare for what was ahead, whether Dahlia liked it or not.

  7

  Raven

  I sat with Violet at a small table on the top floor of one of the castle turrets. The circular room made me feel like Rapunzel in her tower. And the view out of all the windows—the green mountains, the crystal blue ocean—left me breathless.

  I couldn’t believe I was finally at Avalon.

  Violet told me that the room we were in was identical to the one in the other tower, where Noah and the others were going through their orientation with Dahlia. The mage was soft spoken and kind as she explained the mana and Holy Water to me.

  “It will really taste like whatever I want?” I asked.

  “It will.” She nodded, excited. Her eyes were the same color as her name. “Try it.”

  I reached into the platter to take a piece of the strange white fruit. It fit perfectly in my hand. But it was weird looking. Was it truly safe to eat?

  Jacen had sent us to orientation with the mages, and I trusted Jacen. So I pushed the doubt from my mind and took a tentative bite of the fruit.

  It tasted like a perfectly cheesy burrito. The best burrito I’d ever had in my life. I felt my eyes light up the moment I tasted it.

  I was so hungry that I felt like I could eat all the pieces of mana on the platter. And then some.

  “And this is actually good for me?” I asked once I’d finished chewing. “Even though it tastes like a burrito?”

  “The mana will give your body all the nutrients it needs to function at its best possible level,” Violet said. “You’ll feel stronger than ever.”

  “How’s that possible?”

  “Magic.” She smiled. “We have a lot of that here on Avalon. As you learned earlier, my sisters and I are mages. Mages specialize in plant magic, or any magic connected to nature. Our presence here keeps the mana growing and the Holy Water flowing.”

  I took another bite of mana, chewing thoughtfully. I had a lot of questions. But Violet was fascinating, and since I was sitting here alone with her, the best place to start felt like asking her about herself.

  “What exactly is a mage?” I asked. “I’m relatively new to the supernatural
world—I didn’t know it existed until recently. Noah filled me in on a lot when I joined his demon hunt, but he never mentioned mages.”

  “He never mentioned us because there’s no record of us ever living on Earth. Only rumors that have turned into myths,” she said kindly. “You see, mages come from another realm. Mystica.”

  “Is Mystica similar to Avalon?” I hadn’t been aware that other realms even existed until coming to Avalon. The entire time I’d been with Noah on his hunt, I’d assumed Avalon was a hidden place on Earth. Learning it was a different realm had been a shock in itself.

  Now learning that there were more realms? It was a lot to take in.

  “Not exactly,” she said. “Avalon is unique, because it’s a blessed island anchored to Earth. Avalon was created by the angels back when King Arthur passed away, as a resting place for him and a place for future Nephilim to live in safety. Mystica, on the other hand, is a world in itself. There are many different worlds, all of them parallel to Earth, and none of them touching each other. There’s only one common link between the worlds. The Tree of Life.”

  “The actual Tree of Life?” This was getting crazier by the second. I placed the mana down, unable to focus on eating. “You mean the one from the Bible—the one Eve ate the apple from?”

  “That’s the Tree of Knowledge,” Violet explained. “It’s another powerful tree, but completely different from the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is also referred to as the World Tree. It connects all the different worlds to each other.”

  “How many worlds are there?” I asked.

  “Many,” she said with a patient smile—a smile that also said she wasn’t going to give me a specific number. “Earth, and Mystica, and most of all the other worlds are like leaves on the branches of the Tree. Then there are Heaven and Hell—which we compare to the sky and the ground. Heaven is above all the worlds, and Hell is below them. The angels watch over us all, and the demons linger below the surface.