Reign of Angels 2

by L. G. Castillo

  “Of course I agree, but why does she look like that?” Jo’s head lolled toward her chest as if she were falling asleep.

  “She didn’t sleep well last night if you know what I mean.” Dorian grinned. Ian snorted, giving him a fist bump.

  My stomach rolled.

  Jo mumbled next to me as she swayed slightly. I could barely understand what she was saying.

  “It’s nothing. Blood sugar drop. I shouldn’t have had that second stack of pancakes.”

  Dorian placed an arm around Jo, pulling her away from me. “Come on, love, let’s get you back to the cabin for a nap. Then you can enjoy the whirlpool. Aren’t you coming, Karenna?”

  Ian stood in the middle of the corridor, his body almost filling it, blocking my way. His hand still resting on the sword’s hilt.

  I couldn’t shake away the feeling Dorian had been sent down here to get us. Whatever was happening with Jo was getting worse, and as much as I hated being around Dorian, I had to figure out what was wrong with Jo.

  “Coming.” I whipped around to join them.

  10

  Tristan

  I rested my back against a basketball post with my eyes closed and relished the sun’s warmth. Salt water danced on the cool breeze. Waves hit against the ship in a steady beat, lulling me into a semi-dream state. For a moment, the world stilled, and I was a regular person on vacation, a regular person who could hang out with friends at a bar and flirt with a pretty girl and ask her on a date. Someone like…

  Karenna.

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “My lord?”

  I winced at the sound of Calder’s hesitant voice. He’d resorted to calling us by our angelic titles since we had set sail a few days ago.

  “I believe the others wait for you,” he continued.

  “It’s Tristan,” I sighed heavily, opening my eyes.

  Ignoring the angel filled basketball court, I gazed at the deck above the court. Zac and Val stood on a balcony, looking like the royalty they were with their circlets glimmering in the sun. Raffi sat on the rail, gazing out at the crowd as he smacked his gum.

  I smiled as I thought of Lucy. Thanks to Zac’s affection toward her, she was one of the few people who was allowed into the angels’ quarters. She was also one of the few who could make Raffi laugh. The daily demands of a child born of an Ancient wasn’t easy. The constant training at the angel academy and the expectation of leadership because you were to be a Throne one day left little time for fun.

  New to the concept of gum, Raffi puckered his lips, attempting to blow a bubble. He blew hard, sending a pink bullet out of his mouth and into the crowd.

  I laughed as Val yanked him off the railing.

  “My apologies…Tristan,” Calder said. “But shouldn’t you be on the balcony with the other Thrones? I know we’re on a ship, but it appears the others are attempting to maintain some type of order.”

  I scanned the packed basketball court and frowned. It was orderly all right. Seeing the angels gathered and waiting for instructions felt like home again, and that was the problem.

  It was exactly like home.

  The angels congregated in clusters, showing their positions in the angelic hierarchy. I waited in the back of the basketball court with the Guardians. They stood next to Calder, cautiously keeping their distance from me. Their stance was humble, heads slightly lowered in deference to their brethren. A couple of them eyeballed Calder, questioning how he could dare stand so close to a Throne. When I glanced their way, they quickly dropped their heads. I knew it was a show of respect, but it annoyed me, nonetheless.

  The Powers were in the middle of the court, keeping their distance from the Guardians. Those in the back kept inching forward, widening the space between their group and the Guardians. Even some of the former Revelationz guards, who I’d considered friends, fell back into their old ways. They kept close to other Powers, avoiding us whenever we were near. It was as if we didn’t exist.

  I spotted Ian with the Archangels at the front. Unbelievable. What had Remi been thinking making him an Archangel? By the looks of it, Ian hadn’t hesitated to promote some of his Power friends up in rank. They looked exactly like him, with the same buzz haircuts and black trench coats.

  Where he had found those coats, I’ll never know. Wearing them despite the warmer weather was definetely Ian’s style. He always did everything he could to distinguish himself and his friends from the other angels, even when he worked security. He reminded me of Father.

  I snorted.

  “See, over there, my—er, Tristan. Val calls for you,” Calder said.

  Val waved her hand gesturing me to join them.

  “I’ll stay back here,” I said, fully expecting Val to hear my reply.

  Her eyes widened with surprise. She turned to Zac, her lips moving. He shrugged. She then leaned over the railing, her lips moving again. It looked like she was asking, “What did you say?”

  My stomach grew cold. She couldn’t hear me. I raised my voice, repeating myself, “I said I’ll stay here with Calder.”

  Val’s forehead wrinkled. She cupped a hand over her ear, shaking her head.

  Calder gasped. “She can’t hear you.”

  “It’s getting worse.” We were losing our angelic powers more quickly than I’d thought. Even though we’d always be stronger than humans, we were no match for Ari’s army. They wouldn’t hesitate to use the Dark Ways to sustain their angelic powers in full force.

  I jumped at the sound of a ram’s horn blasting. The last time I’d heard the ram’s horn was when I was at the House of Sariel being forced to bind myself to Ana. The foreboding sound had blasted through the chamber, announcing Father’s arrival and, with him, my fate.

  Scanning the upper levels, I searched for the source until I found him. On a diving platform high in the sky, an Archangel stood with a ram’s horn pressed to his lips. His trench coat billowed out in the breeze, fluttering like wings.

  I clenched my fist as the angels responded to the ram’s horn. In unison, they knelt on one knee and thumped a fist onto their chest. The Ancient tradition was back.

  I never should’ve trusted Remi, even after Val had insisted Remi had eliminated the long-standing custom of separating angelic royalty from the other angels. It was one of the main reasons why I’d joined her and Zac.

  A second blast sounded, and Remi appeared. He moved with regal grace, his palm hovering over bowed heads, an ancient’s demonstration of blessing his followers. Blaze followed close behind him.

  The crowd murmured, shocked that a Guardian dared to enter with an Ancient as if he were an equal.

  I smiled, feeling a little better about the situation. Maybe Remi hadn’t completely reverted to the old ways.

  Blaze ignored the crowd’s disapproval as he followed Remi up the stairs and onto the balcony, joining the Thrones. Remi took his place with Zac on his right side and Val on the left. Blaze stood next to Zac, looking out over the court. I watched, enthralled by the scene, wondering how committed Remi was to breaking tradition.

  The ram’s horn sounded again, and in unison, the entire court stood, thumping on their chest again as they stood at attention.

  There was an awkward silence as everyone looked from Remi to Blaze and then back to Remi.

  Finally, Remi gave Zac the slightest of nods. Zac blinked, and his face reddened. Then he leaned toward Blaze, his face looking apologetic as he spoke into his ear.

  Blaze’s nostrils flared, his jaw clenching. Without a word, he turned on his heel and stomped down the steps.

  I knew it!

  “Brothers!” Remi’s voice boomed.

  I snorted. Riiiight, brothers. Like he really thinks we’re all equals.

  “You have fought bravely, and are to be commended for your admirable training, yet there is more to be done. As we continue on our journey, do not let daylight tempt you to lay down your guard. Darkness will surely come again, and we must be ready.” His eyes drifted in my directio
n. “All must be made ready for battle.”

  I folded my arms across my chest. Someone had told him about my refusal to fight. Who was it? Zac? Blaze? Or maybe it was the fact I still didn’t have a circlet emblazed on my forehead, a sign I’d accepted my position like the others.

  Ian and his Archangel friends glared.

  “What? Did I grow a third eye or something?” I spat.

  Ian shook his head and faced forward.

  “We already know Belial and Phanuel are working with the House of Sariel. Both Ana and Ari, our once beloved Throne, are in their hands. Although we will try our best to bring them back to the fold, we must be vigilant and protect ourselves in the process. In our battle to do what is right, we make a heinous weapon into a holy vindicator.”

  Remi whipped out his sword and held it up. Sunlight danced on the angel killer’s blade.

  “They have given us a mighty blow. They have destroyed hundreds of cities and taken thousands of innocent lives. Ari and his army continue to search for the new Throne. This puts us in grave danger because it is told the new Throne of prophecy will be at the safe haven.”

  The crowd rumbled.

  “There’s no such thing.”

  “It’s true, many of the Ancients have said so.”

  “Not all of them believe it.”

  Remi raised his hand, immediately quieting the crowd. “Whether the prophecy is believed or not, we must remain vigilant. We are few, and they are many. We must take all steps to assure we are ready for battle. Therefore, I’ve asked Zachriel to lead the training for all, including the Guardians.”

  The surrounding Guardians exploded with excitement.

  “Tristan? Is this…are you…I don’t know…” Calder stammered, conflict filling his kind eyes.

  Even though he was from the House of Uriel, he’d always sought my guidance. I never understood it, and I surely didn’t deserve his trust. Still, he looked to me for permission. I couldn’t imagine him even holding a sword. He wasn’t the type to be eager to fight against his fellow brothers. But I knew he wanted to protect Jo and her family, and Zac was the most skilled fighter I knew.

  “It’s okay, Calder. I understand you have no choice here.”

  “And,” Remi raised his hand again, his face turning solemn, “we will ask others on the ship to join us.”

  The angels’ excitement turned into a fierce uproar.

  “The Gibbor can’t be trusted!”

  “Humans? We’re inviting humans?”

  “Absurd! Humans are no match for angels. They’ll be slaughtered.”

  Val’s face scrunched up, her eyes narrowing, fists clenched against the railing. Zac looked like the wind had been knocked out of him. Neither of them said a word.

  How could they be okay with this? For centuries, our kind had placed judgment on the Nephilim. We had made decisions on whether their life source was worthy of continuing on Earth or would be forced to wander the Valley of Lost Souls for eternity. Now we were asking them to join us in our war? And the humans? Even the strongest among them couldn’t compete with the weakest of angels. Someone had to speak up.

  I charged to the front. “You can’t do this. It’s not right! None of this is!”

  “How dare you question an Ancient.” Ian placed himself in my path, blocking my way.

  “Move,” I growled.

  “Ah, the ambivalent Throne speaks,” Remi called out in a mocking tone. “Are you finally willing to take your place with us or, as the humans like to say, are you ‘‘blowing a lot of hot air?’”

  “I don’t need to be a Throne to know the difference between right and wrong, and this is wrong. Are you willing to sacrifice lives for a war that is not theirs?”

  “The Nephilim are not human,” Ian said.

  “They’re half human,” I snapped.

  “Of course you would see it that way, especially for one girl in particular.”

  My fingers curled into a tight fist.

  “Enough, Ian. I can handle Tristan,” Remi said before turning to me. “The choice is theirs. Who are you to question their decision on what to fight for?”

  He was right. I wasn’t one to question their choice. Still, I had a bad feeling that anyone the angels approached, human or Gibbor, would feel pressured to join them. They were our captives on the ship.

  Remi smiled when I didn’t respond. “It’s as I thought. Now if you have no other words of wisdom, we shall continue. Ian, I place you in charge of soliciting volunteers from the Gibbor.”

  Raffi’s hand shot up. “Ooh, ooh! I volunteer! I want to fight!”

  “No!” Val, Zac, and I yelled in unison.

  Raffi scowled. “If the Gibbor and humans can fight, then so can I.”

  “Absolutely not,” Val said. “You shouldn’t be here in the first place.”

  “Well, I am, and I wanna help,” Raffi pouted.

  “And you will,” Ian said. “With my lord’s permission, of course. I’ll personally see to Raffi’s training.”

  Val leaned over the railing, glaring at Ian. “He will do no such thing. Raffi doesn’t even have his wings yet. Tell him he can’t, Remi.”

  There was a hushed silence as all eyes turned to the Ancient.

  Remi gazed down at Raffi, studying him for a moment. Slowly, his lips curled into a soft smile. “Good, brave hearts like Raffi’s will help us prevail. There is no harm in him training with the others.”

  “But—”

  Remi raised his hand, stopping Val’s rebuttal. He then turned to Raffi, wagging his finger in warning like a father to a child. “Now, Raffi, you will only train under strict watch from Ian and your sister. You are not to go into combat without both of their consent.”

  Val’s fearful eyes met with mine, pleading for help.

  “You’re bringing children to fight your battles now?” I cried.

  “Some children are braver than Thrones,” Ian seethed.

  I stepped up to his face. I’d had enough of him. “I don’t care what you think about me. Archangel. Now, move aside.” I pushed him out of my way and rushed up the stairs.

  “You care not for your brothers. You care more for others who bring danger to us all,” Ian called out after me. “My lord, I speak of two passengers who can bring Ari and his army right to us. Perhaps it is their presence that is slowing down our journey to Oahu.”

  I froze midway up the staircase. A shocked murmur swept through the crowd. I could feel their eyes on my back, watching me.

  I’d heard the rumors. The ship was moving too slow. Something or someone was slowing us down. There was no doubt who Ian was placing the blame on.

  A blind rage ravaged through me, making my whole body shake. Carefully, I turned to face him and the others, speaking through clenched jaws. “It’s only been a few days since we left port, and the sky has been clear ever since.”

  “It only takes five to get there, and we’re not even close.”

  Not you too. I winced at the sound of Val’s voice. It stabbed into my back like a knife.

  “There are probably a hundred reasons why we aren’t making progress.”

  “And two of them were under your care,” Ian challenged.

  I stepped forward.

  “Tristan, Ian, we are all concerned about the delay,” Zac said. “Please, let’s take a moment to think this through.”

  “Zac is correct. Cool heads are needed to make sure all are kept safe,” Remi said. “Blaze, what say you of this? You have spent time with the sisters.”

  I gave Blaze a warning look, knowing how suspicious he’d been of Karenna from the beginning.

  “Lucy is an innocent,” he replied. “She is young and didn’t know anything about her parents’ rebellion.”

  “Neither did Karenna,” I snapped.

  “I’d hardly say the Nephilim is an innocent,” Ian sneered.

  “What did you say?” I raged.

  Ian’s lips curled, and pale eyes bored into me. His words stabbed into my chest like
an ice pick. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The temptress has a hold over you. It’s no secret what you would do to have her…or perhaps you already have. That would explain why you continue to sniff around her as if she were a dog in heat.”

  There was a beat of silence, and I was suddenly flying through the air. A feral growl ripped through my chest as I tackled Ian to the ground. I could barely make out the yells through the haze as my fists pounded into his ribs.

  Someone latched onto my shoulders, and I heard Calder’s pleas above the crowd. There was more yelling, and his hand disappeared.

  Somehow, Ian managed to shove me off him, and his fists pelted into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I staggered back. Through bleary eyes, I saw the Guardians alongside Calder. They stood their ground, preventing Ian’s Archangel friends from joining him.

  Ian’s fist suddenly came into view. I ducked, and his fist skimmed my cheek. I whirled around, leaping into the air. I was about to release my wings when something slapped against my back, clinging to me.

  “Knock it off, Tristan! She’s not worth it!” Val cried.

  I fell to the ground, shocked at Val’s outcry. “I can’t believe you said that.”

  “You know what I mean,” she said, jumping off my back.

  “Enough!” Remi’s voice boomed. “We shall not turn against each other. If these two girls can create such division, then perhaps we should consider Ian’s proposal.”

  Ian stood up, shoving the Guardians out of the way. “Yes, we should terminate them immediately.”

  “Lucy is innocent!” Blaze cried, joining me.

  “No! Don’t you dare touch them! If you do, I’ll—”

  “Wait!” Zac gripped my arm, holding me in place. “This is not who we are. Karenna and Lucy are more human than Gibbor. They lived their entire lives as humans. They work selflessly in the service of others. We can’t pass judgment on them because,” he looked at me, swallowing before he continued, “because compassion sometimes overwhelms us.”

  “Compassion?” Ian snorted. “Is that what you’re calling it now?”

  “Zac’s right,” Val said. “Perhaps there’s another way?”