Above the Ashen Clouds (Twisted Worlds #2)

15. Cat

Chapter fifteen

Cat

“ Y ou mean to tell me that humans have an entire study devoted to … politics?” Zariel asked me.

I took a sip of the bitter red wine that Zariel brought with dinner and reached for another of the sugary rolls. With sugar, the encounter in the library was now only a troubled memory. I had no idea that Zariel was able to get so … feral. And all to keep someone else from touching me. Me.

“Of course, we do. I can guarantee you have the same study, but maybe it’s called something other than ‘political science.’”

“How so?” Zariel reclined on his chair, his wings draped casually over the back and sides. He somehow seemed unfazed by the encounter with Gadriel, or how there was now an angel who hated us .

After the encounter, Zariel had guided me to his rooms, with me pressed against him in the halls, and then he carried me through the air—I didn’t mind. Anything to get away from the library faster. I certainly didn’t mind how he practically fussed over me, shielding me with his wings. Nor did I mind when he brought me to his rooms, set me on the couch, and buried me in a pile of blankets, no matter how much I assured him I was fine. Nope, I didn’t mind that at all.

“Well, you study history, correct?” I asked.

“Obviously.”

“And laws?”

“Yes.”

“And government actions?”

“… Yes?”

“See? You do have a similar area of study. To my point, countries and even businesses need to anticipate what others will do, in order to develop strategy. Humans are, unfortunately, rather predictable.”

“Oh.” Zariel seemed to think for a moment, while I tried not to think about how sexy his slightly disheveled hair was. “You mean that you’re training as an advisor,” he finally said.

“Yes. But we can’t exactly call it ‘advisor school,’ now, can we?”

“Why not?”

“… Tradition?” I grimaced jokingly.

I picked at the dinner some more, the tasty roll doing little to make me feel less worried, despite the sugar .

Zariel noticed. “What’s wrong? I told you that you don’t need to worry about the Artists. I did nothing wrong. And you certainly didn’t.”

“I know.”

“Then what is it?”

I paused, trying to find the right words. It wasn’t Gadriel, though he certainly wasn’t a fun experience. It was something else, something deeper. “The angels don’t seem to like me, or even want me around,” I finally said, “as today highlighted. I understand there’s some distrust, and likely some sociological reasons from your old world, but I was hoping you would give me further understanding as to why . I’ve been here a week already—am I going to be ignored by practically everyone this entire time?”

Zariel’s face went blank, which told me he was trying to find the right thing to say. “I do not know. I have friends that I’m sure would like to meet you, but there’s conflict at the moment. They’re busy, for one.”

“Too busy to just stop by?”

Taking a bite, Zariel shook his head, and then, once he swallowed, said, “No. It’s a matter that some assignments require those involved to stay isolated.”

“What on earth could require that?”

“I’m not sure.”

“But you suspect.”

He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “I do. You’re too smart for your own good. But I don’t want to spread rumors. Can you settle for that I’ll tell you what the assignment is once I know for sure? I will answer all your questions once I can.”

I smiled. “If I must.” Something was bothering him. Something he wasn’t telling me. Alright, I could live with that. He may like me—even desire me—but that didn’t mean he trusted me. We were still getting to know each other, in many ways.

“But to your question—to angels, indifference is an insult.” His jaw clenched. “They think you’re beneath them. Not all of them, but … that is why they aren’t interacting with you.”

I expected as much, but it still stung. That explained why nearly no one even bothered to greet me. A few gave me hesitant smiles, but they were scarce compared to the glowers—or being ignored altogether.

“Please don’t take offense,” Zariel said, “but we consider ourselves superior to almost every other being.”

I brushed some sugar off my lip. “I just don’t understand. You have other peoples and creatures at the universities, living in your kingdom. Working in your cities.”

“That doesn’t mean we consider them one of us.”

I cocked my head. “You don’t agree?”

“No. Not like I used to.” He took a deep breath. “There are humans in our kingdom. Most of them live in the lowlands near the border. They grow our crops and facilitate trade. Those particular ones are … not known for their academics. An d these are who most angels think of, when they think of humans at all.”

I frowned. “Were they ever given the chance to study?”

“Yes.” Zariel broke into his own roll, separating the flakey white layers. “There are some realms and kingdoms where the humans are different—they are wise. Cultured. But these particular humans …”

“Are not.”

“Precisely. They can be intelligent, but they are not us. We have, in the past, attempted to work with them and it has never gone well. As far as I know, the effort has been given up entirely.” Zariel leveled a gaze at me. “At our home, we want nothing more than to preserve knowledge, no matter what. Our strength stems from it. We do not risk it for anyone.”

I couldn’t tell if Zariel was justified in his assessment of the humans in his kingdom. Were the humans in his lands some sort of stereotypical Viking, known mostly for farming and pillaging? Or were they simply not given the chance to do more? Did they even want to do more? Regardless, without having seen or met them for myself, I’d have to go on what Zariel told me, and that was that the other angels likely considered me a quaint annoyance at best, and a horn-blasting marauding beast at worst.

“So angels don’t like other creatures. Apparently, that’s not uncommon with those who came from your old world. Are there any who … do live with others, like, where creatures live in the same space? ”

Zariel took a long drink and then set his cup on the side table. “I’m not sure of every creature who came here, but the Dawn Fae live with humans and treasure them. Keep in mind that the lands that came here are often just a small piece of our homes—even if the creatures share it with others, that doesn’t mean that the others came along to this one.” That was a valid point—if a fast-food restaurant was transferred to another world, people would think we had a world made only of fast food.

I leaned back in the chair, watching Zariel eat. Apparently, we had another trait in common—we both switched topics when things got uncomfortable. In my case, there were a few things I didn’t want to think about. Such as his fluid gestures, smooth and practiced as a dance. Or his towering presence that I now knew would protect me. Or the way he focused on me when he thought I wasn’t looking, as if he could see under the layers covering me. I dug my nails into the tips of my fingers. Indulging in those feelings wouldn’t do any good.

“Alright,” I said, “so we have the fae who like humans.”

“ Some fae.”

“It’s a start. Maybe there’s others.”

He raised an eyebrow. “How many lands came, exactly, when the worlds merged? I assume the Artists were given a list, but as you can tell, they wouldn’t share such things with me. ”

“In the United States alone? Thousands, but most of them were smaller than a city block.”

“And the larger ones?”

“There are 45 that are 500 square miles or more.”

Zariel blinked. Hard. “Your land must be massive, if you have any land left.”

“It is.” I took a long breath. “The largest one in the United States is actually in Alaska, near the Artic, but the state’s natural terrain makes it almost impossible to investigate. And, frankly, we’ve had other problems.”

“I see.” Zariel took a long drink of wine. “Tell me, where there is a larger parcel of land that came from our world, are the smaller ones arranged around them in any particular fashion?”

I cocked my head. “Yes, actually. They seem to shrink the further away they are from the larger parcels. Almost like … a rock splashing into water, causing splattering around it.”

“And is there any relation in the areas? Like, does it seem that ones from the same area of our world arrived together?”

“No. Not that we can tell. It doesn’t seem like there’s any alignment with where they were located in your old world. Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s in my nature to ask questions, even when there’s no answer.”

I understood that all too well.

We gently changed the topic, discussing what we’d have for breakfast and what he was going to transcribe tomorrow. Yet I couldn’t forget his speech about what angels valued … I knew one thing from my studies. No culture valued knowledge except for that it led to one thing—power.

The meal done, we settled in for another night of light chatter that lasted until I struggled to keep my eyes open. The sitting room was perfect for sleep, with its dim lights, soft furniture, and Zariel sitting there, musing over his books while I sat near him, his even breaths lulling me with their steady rhythm. I wanted nothing more than to place my head on his lap and have him rub my head until I fell asleep. But that wouldn’t be. It could never be. No matter what, I would have to leave here eventually, and he would stay.

“I’m going to bed,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “I feel awful that I’m taking your bed. You barely fit on the couch.”

“Don’t,” he said. “I wouldn’t have this any other way.”

I hesitated. “There’s room in your bed for two.”

He looked up from his manuscript. He had seemed distracted for the last hour or so, lost in thoughts he didn’t voice. Something smoldered in his gaze as it honed in on me while my breath caught in anticipation. He might say yes. In just a few minutes, I could be next to him, lying next to him.

—And then it was gone an instant later, leaving me swallowing a bitter disappointment. “I couldn’t impose on you in that way,” he said gently. “Rest, Cat. I’m perfectly comfortable out here.”

My chest constricted, like all the air was sucked out of me .

“Alright,” I said, forcing a smile. “The offer is open if you change your mind.”

It was for the best. What he decided was for the best.

I awoke the next morning to find the space next to me cold and empty. With the night now behind me, I was only left with my dreams, of soft lips touching my hands, and murmured promises of fulfilled desires.