Above the Ashen Clouds (Twisted Worlds #2)

7. Cat

Chapter seven

Cat

“ T hey’re letting me leave with you?” I asked Zariel once we were outside of the conference room. I saw the looks the other angels gave him, the judgment. Even if they didn’t say anything, I could tell they weren’t pleased. There would be consequences, no matter what he said. Yet I had to trust that Zariel could handle it, whatever it was. Worst case they would just send me back, right?

I had to trust him.

It made absolutely no sense, but I did.

“Yes. You’re welcome to come with me.” His wings were spread over me, pushing me closer to him, literally sheltering me as we left through a side door. I stayed close since his wings would hide us from anyone watching, and I didn’t want them to stop us and ruin my chance to see the Ashen Mountain for myself .

The Ashen Mountain. I was going to see it. I was going to be inside it—

As this angel’s guest.

Maybe I was dreaming? I was talking and moving without thought, a creature prodded by instinct. At any moment I would wake and find myself in bed without having gone to the summit at all.

“Can I hold you?” Zariel asked me once we were outside, the wind gently blowing his long black hair. “For flying,” he quickly added.

I nodded—like I was going to decline now. No one was nearby, but in the distance jeeps and SUVs were driving along the runways, likely extra security for the event. It wasn’t surprising that there wasn’t anyone standing here—any unnecessary staff, even janitors, were banned from the grounds today. That was a good thing, because it gave the two of us a chance to get away without anyone noticing. If someone saw a human leave with an angel, surely there would be questions. And pictures. And news stories. So many stories.

Before I had a chance to think about the fact that I was soon to be flying with an angel, strong arms wrapped around my back and under my legs, pressing me against his body as if I weighed nothing. And then we were gone, leaving the world before I had a chance to do anything other than clutch my bag against me with one arm and wrap the other around him. As my stomach dropped, I closed my eyes and pushed my head against his chest—the thick fabric of his shirt and the leather of his vest pressing against my face. The scent of juniper and light woodsmoke filled my nose, and something that was uniquely him , calming my senses. Despite flying hundreds of feet over the countryside, despite the fact that he was the only thing keeping me from falling to my death, this felt right , like returning home. The feeling washed over me, lulling me to the sweet sense of belonging. In this moment, I was meant to be here. With him.

“What about the ash?” I yelled once we were in the sky. Oh god, was he going to let the ash kill me?

“I won’t let it hurt you,” he said. “When it comes time, listen to me.” Considering what the clouds around the mountain were made of, listening to him was just good sense.

I blinked hard. This was an angel, and he was taking me to the Ashen Mountain. I still didn’t know why he picked me—I wasn’t the only young woman at the summit. I couldn’t get too comfortable. We had heard nothing about angels harming any local humans, but nothing was ever a guarantee, especially where our new guests were concerned.

Of course, adding to my nerves was the fact that I was hundreds of feet above the ground.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was perfectly safe, even though the cars below us were tiny shapes darting along gray roads. I laid my head against him, trying to enjoy the view, even though the wind sent a blistering chill through me and slapped my face. My breaths were matched by the solid beat of his white and silver wings. No, I definitely wasn’t getting too comfortable with the way Zariel’s surprisingly muscular arms cupped me, holding me securely against him.

I woke up this morning hoping to just see an angel, and here I was being held by one and carried to their home.

It didn’t take long, maybe fifteen minutes at most, before we approached the Ashen Mountain, its signature clouds washing over us like entering fog.

A blistering fog. I braced myself, praying that he knew what he was doing.

“Push your face against me!” Zariel yelled.

I did.

A moment later the air burned my lungs, the ash hitting my skin like little pricks of fire. I gritted my teeth. I knew this was going to happen—the burning ash was why no drones or other aircraft or people managed to get close to the angels’ home, and no one wanted to risk the consequences of accessing the mountain through more invasive measures. But I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught, as if I was rolling in a bed of stinging nettle, my skin both spasming and aflame.

“Just a little longer!”

I grunted in acknowledgement, my eyes slammed shut and protected by Zariel’s body. I tried to take as few breaths as possible, and any that I did take were smothered by Zariel’s chest. I didn’t think about what I was doing other than desperately trying to draw air, even as the pins from the ash invaded my skin, burning and burrowing. My clothing was no protection. Not from this. He was the only thing protecting me from complete destruction.

One breath.

Don’t scream. Don’t scream.

Two breaths.

Oh god, I can’t take anymore.

Three breaths.

This was a mistake. A horrible mistake—

The air suddenly cleared—we were inside a tunnel. Zariel set me down gently and I collapsed to the ground, wiping my face and catching my breath.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

I nodded, shaking off as much of the ash as I could, batting it away quickly in case the pain started again. It no longer burned as it did before, but my skin was tender, the memory far too fresh.

Zariel winced as he took me in. “I’m sorry. Now that you’re in here, it shouldn’t affect you nearly as much. Our magics negate the ash.” He looked around him. “Otherwise, nothing could survive in here.”

He was right. The remnants of the misery were fading, and now my skin, though pink, felt as if it were covered by a layer of dust and grime. Oh no, I’d have to go through that cloud again . Because I would—I’d have to leave and go through the ash clouds if I ever wanted to get home .

“I don’t understand.” I coughed and patted the ash off my skin and clothes. It came off my skin easily and didn’t stick like normal ash. I tucked my bag against my chest—at least it had survived the flight. “It stung so bad outside. I thought I was going to die.”

Zariel watched me carefully. “It’s the mountain. This isn’t how it works, but think of it as magnetic—inside the mountain, the force is dissipated. Negated. This space stops the ash from affecting you more than it already has. And try not to worry—you would pass out from the pain long before the ash managed to kill you.”

“Ah.” I didn’t understand and was slightly horrified by how casually Zariel mentioned that last part. Still, all I cared about was that the air no longer burned my lungs, and that it no longer felt like my skin was preparing to tear itself off my bones. I had many questions about the ash and how the angels were immune, and how the mountain was somehow safe, but they would have to wait.

Instead, I took in what no human had seen before—the Ashen Mountain.

We were in a tunnel which led directly outside, flying ash visible from the unblocked entrance to the open air, though it made no move to come within the mountain’s interior. The walls were a gray stone carved directly from the mountain, yet this space was illuminated with natural light that came through carefully placed windows. The tunnel was carved smooth and etched with swirls and other motifs that reminded me of baroque fashion, both curved and beautiful, yet harsh.

I wiped my face. Though we were in what was technically a tunnel, the mountain wasn’t dark. Above us were skylights, the brilliant sun pouring through, despite the clouds of ash that swirled between us and the sun. Now that I was closer, I could see that the ash itself carried its own glow, almost like brilliant snowflakes dancing through the air.

I was really here.

I looked around me, my senses taking everything in. The mountain had a slight chill, but nothing near unbearable. The scent of mint and stone lingered in the halls. And that ash, white and crusted against the walls, floor, and ceiling like snow, was everywhere.

“The ash is over the whole mountain?” I asked.

“No,” Zariel said. “You’re not trapped here, if that’s what you are asking. I will make sure you can leave when you want.” He squirmed. “I will make sure that when you leave, you’re better prepared. I’m sorry.”

I wasn’t asking about that, but he obviously picked up on my nerves—if I wanted to leave, I’d need help. I probably couldn’t stay conscious long enough to walk out, if I tried.

My dissertation had better be worth it.

Despite being in a mountain, there was greenery. Plants grew in planters placed against the walls, strategically situated to take advantage of the sun. The vines poured out, giving a taste of life against the stone, out of which columns were carved, giving the illusion of being in a building and not under a mountain.

For now, the two of us were alone here, but how long was it going to last before other angels interrupted? What would the other angels do about me being here?

“Is it what you expected?” Zariel asked, watching me intently. A strange heat worked through me. I had been so consumed by getting to the mountain that I had given comparatively little thought to the angel who had brought me here. Again, he stirred such strange feelings within me for someone I had just met. Longing? Desire? This wasn’t a normal crush, this was something deeper, something that lurked, waiting for the moment to wake. Something wasn’t right.

“Yes. No. Not at all,” I said, wiping off more of the ash. “It’s brighter than I thought. We thought that the mountain was more … solid.”

Something clouded Zariel’s features, but it disappeared with the next breath. “We angels prefer the open sky. Even in here, we do our best not to hide from it entirely. We’re not meant to be underground.” A light rumbling sound from ahead in the tunnel caught our attention, and Zariel offered me his hand, his large fingers dwarfing my own. I took it, again fighting against the sudden urge that this was right .

This? There was no this .

The sound revealed itself to be footsteps, working their way down the hall. In due time a male angel appeared, his long brown hair framing a face that was as radiant and harsh as a lightning bolt. When he saw me, his grin melted into a frown and his wings twitched. I recognized him from the summit, still wearing the black leathers and dark blue garments. He was covered with a light layer of ash that he brushed off his arms as he inspected me, his glittering wings rippling under the light. He must’ve followed us from the summit as soon as we left. But what did this mean for me?

“Who is this?” he asked Zariel.

“This is Cat,” Zariel said. “She’s staying with us for a couple months.” At Zariel’s urging, the three of us strode through the tunnels, gently working our way upwards—my mind caught in a flurry between understanding where exactly I was and trying to parse out this angel’s obvious distaste for me. If he didn’t like me, he was probably just the start of what I would be facing here.

“Zariel, what did you do?” the newcomer asked with a groan. “The Artists are never going to allow this.”

“Yes, they will.”

“She’s a human.”

“I noticed.”

“There have never been humans in the library.”

“Until now.”

“And we just started negotiations.”

“They will make allowances.”

“What? There is absolutely nothing you could say that would make the Artists—”

“Yes, there is.” Zariel gave him a pointed look, and the two of them exchanged a series of facial gestures that was only possible through a lifetime of familiarity. Whoever this angel was, he was a friend.

My throat went dry. Was Zariel going to be in trouble for bringing me here? What could he say to them that would explain what he did? Were they going to send me back? He was right—people at the university would eventually piece together what happened, and they would have questions. Intense questions. But my eventual return—and armed with enough research to set up an excellent dissertation—should easily manage any consequences. That, and the fact that I would—truthfully—insist that I had chosen to go.

Suddenly, the new angel’s eyes widened. “ That? That’s impossible.” The man looked at me, his mouth dropped open. “They’ll never believe you.”

“They will. And you know it. Why would I lie about this? And now, of all times?”

The angel shook his head. “I know you wouldn’t, but you know as well as I that’s not what matters. You have a knack for trouble, Zariel. Whether or not you try to avoid it, it finds you. Father isn’t going to be pleased.”

“I know.”

“I can’t protect you. But I will try.”

“I know. To both.” Zariel straightened his back. “But I had to do this.”

The other angel rubbed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He then turned to me, his expression not exactly friendly, but it had none of the barely masked anger and fear it contained when I first arrived. “My name is Cael,” the angel said to me. “I have been friends with this one”?he pointed at Zariel?“for far too long. And welcome to the Ashen Mountain.” Cael shook his head. “I can only hope Zariel has a plan.”

“A plan for what?” I dared to finally ask.

“Managing my father.”