28. Zariel
Chapter twenty-eight
Zariel
F or the second morning in a row, I woke with Cat nestled against me, her body stirring with each breath. She was shorter than most angels, and fit next to me perfectly, cupped against my side. Without wings, it meant that her back was pressed right against my chest, her heart echoing the beat of my own. The ability to have her nestled so perfectly against me was undoubtedly a perk of her not having wings.
Though, that made me wonder …
Would I be able to enter her while lying this close together? I shifted my hips, satisfied as she ground against me, seemingly instinctual. I grinned when I managed to position myself behind her. Yes, yes, I could. We could—
A knock sounded at my door. No one would bother me this early unless there was a good reason. I rarely was bothered by anybody at all.
Groaning, I sat up, doing my best not to disturb her. After quickly draping my thick robe over my shoulders and tying it modestly around my waist, I made it to the door and opened it with an inelegant grunt. "Yes?” I asked, before I registered who it was. And once I did, I frowned.
“Damn, newly mated angels really are feral,” Cael said, looking me over. “When’s the last time you brushed your hair?”
“It’s not even the first bell,” I said. I peered down the hall—no one else was around. “And I’m not on duty today.”
“I know.” He squirmed. “You think I wanted to come here for a social call?” He looked me over again. “I should be happy that you’re wearing clothes.”
“You’re lucky that I like you, or this door would be the only company you’re going to get.”
Cael didn’t laugh like I expected. In fact, he took a deep breath, his expression morose. “Father asked me to fetch you. And the human,” he said. “Cat, I mean. ‘Human’ was his word.”
My heart sank. “This isn’t good, is it?”
He winced. “I don’t know. I doubt it. When is it ever good when he’s involved? Prepare for anything, my friend. It’s not like he’d say something to me, and I’m supposed to be his heir. You know what he’s like. ”
I did. And I also knew Cael had absolutely no interest in leadership, and barely had any interest in being in the mountain. Prior to the merge, he had wanted to work in the city managing accounts for a glass merchant, of all things. Whether that was a true interest or one he adopted merely to spite his father, I couldn’t say.
“I’m guessing he wants to see us now?”
“That would be best.”
Damn.
I said farewell to Cael after he told me where to find the High Artist, and then I gently woke Cat, disappointed that I could only kiss her awake. Quickly, we dressed, barely speaking. There was no time. If the High Artist wanted to see us this early, no good would come from making him wait.
“Maybe he just wants to reassign you,” she whispered to me while we made our way to the tunnels that led to the main atrium, which now had a smattering of angels starting their day. We’d be able fly to where the High Artist waited—a small mercy.
“That doesn’t explain why he wants you .”
“Maybe something happened with the humans, and he just wants to talk to me.”
“True. That is a possibility.” Though, Cael should have known if that was the case.
There was also the possibility that neither of us dared mention—that the High Artist outsmarted us. What if he discovered the letter to the elves? Worse, what if he knew that we discovered what he had planned?
For all my knowledge, I was a fool. I should’ve stayed out of the High Artist’s way from the start. How could the two of us expect to change anything? I couldn’t help my sister, and I was powerless now. I endangered Cat, I risked—
“We don’t know what’s going to happen yet,” Cat said, placing a comforting hand on my arm. I covered it with my own, wishing I could protect her from it all. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to take you to Wawa tonight.”
“Who is that?”
“More like ‘what,’ and that ‘what’ is a delightful reservoir of everything a PhD student needs for survival.”
I grimaced. “Survival? And you go to this place on purpose?”
“Yes. Absolutely.” She placed her head on my arm for a moment and grinned. “See, no matter what happens, we will end today perfectly happy. And full of coffee.”
Several minutes later we reached the High Artist’s study, the same place where he had lectured me about bringing Cat into the mountain. It was weeks ago, but it may as well have been a lifetime. We were allowed inside the study by stern guards, the wooden door securely closed behind us, leaving us trapped. Oh, no, we weren’t alone—we were with the High Artist, two of his minion Artists, three guards—and Cael. And not just any Artists—Gadriel.
Gadriel.
I ground my teeth and the angel didn’t bother to hide his scowl. His hand was still wrapped in a pristine bandage from where I stabbed him. It wasn’t that deep of a wound, surely, he was just pretending to milk sympathy. Not that he deserved anything for daring to touch my mate. I should have stabbed him deeper.
Though if Gadriel was here …
Regardless, this wasn’t good.
He glared at Cat, and she stepped even closer to me, holding my hand, trusting that I’d keep her safe. I squeezed it with a reassurance I didn’t feel. Like we were preparing to walk off a cliff, we ignored Gadriel and made our way closer to the High Artist’s desk, stopping when we reached the dark wood.
Long moments passed in silence, everyone in the room weighing each other. Staring. Judging.
What was going to happen? Why were we here?
“Zariel. Catalina,” the High Artist said, his face impassive. “I have unfortunate news—the humans have demanded your return. Aggressively, I might add.”
She froze and a jolt went through me.
He said it. He actually said it. She had to leave. We expected something like this, but for it to actually happen was as if a dagger twisted in my chest. Cat and I would have to talk, make a plan—
“Now,” the High Artist continued, “I regret that I must insist that you leave this mountain. Immediately.”
“High Artist,” I said, doing my best to ignore the glee on Gadriel’s face, “surely we can take a couple hours—”
“No. It must be done now. If we wish to maintain relations, they were quite insistent that we do this.” The High Artist’s face softened, and for a moment I saw the man from my childhood who would ensure I had special presents on my birthday. The one who was my father’s friend. From his place at the side of the room, Cael frowned, but he did nothing to interfere. “I will ensure that Catalina has an escort past the clouds,” the High Artist continued, “and there will be humans waiting on the other side of the ash to take her home.”
“No need for an escort,” I said. “I’m going with her.” And I wasn’t coming back.
“No. You’re not.”
My chest wrenched and I resisted clenching my fists. That primal growl stirred inside me, threatening to destroy what stood in my way. Who was he to tell me I couldn’t follow my mate? He had no right. None. “I am not bound to serve here by decree or oath,” I said, letting the venom slip into my voice, “nor am I a prisoner—I am free to leave.”
The High Artist’s face turned to stone, all while Gadriel couldn’t contain his wide smile. Cael’s eyes widened, but I knew better than to expect him to intervene. He couldn’t. I wouldn’t let him. This was between me and the High Artist.
“We are at war,” the High Artist said, his wings twitching, “and I am the authority. You will not be leaving this mountain.” At war? What was he talking about? “I’ve allowed you far too many liberties thanks to the fondness I have for your father,” he said, “and I even let you keep a human mate. But that is done. It is time for her to leave.”
“There is no law that permits you to keep my mate from me,” I insisted. “And every law that mandates the opposite.”
“We are not in our kingdom,” the High Artist repeated. “She is not one of us. The humans are demanding her return, and they shall have it. Would you risk the rest of us for your own selfish reasons? Your going with would only complicate matters. The humans are furious enough as it is.”
“It will be alright,” Cat said, speaking up. Her voice reached me, a soothing calm in the turmoil threatening to burst in my soul. “Zariel can go with me to Princeton. It will be a surprise to everyone, but it won’t be a problem. Not for long.”
“And you think I’m going to take your word on such a complex issue? You have caused enough problems already.” The High Artist snapped his fingers. “It is time. No point in dragging this out further. For any of us.” The guards moved towards us.
“You’re not going to let us say goodbye?” I asked, somehow pulling Cat closer to me .
“You’ve had the last five minutes.” The High Artist shifted. “That is enough. Be glad that I gave you this, and an explanation.” Gadriel smirked, and a flare of anger shot through me.
They were already taking Cat away—what was wrong with a little murder?
“Zariel—” Cat said, right as a guard grabbed her arms and tried to pry her away. Out of instinct I growled and lunged toward him, only to be restrained by two other guards, whose fingers dug into my arms. She broke away from me with a cry, her face contorted in grief. It was as if my soul had suddenly split in two.
“Let me go,” I thrashed in their grip, not caring that my feathers and wings bent, twisting. If I lost her, I lost everything.
“You’re making this worse for yourself,” one of the guards suddenly said in my ear. Not a guard. Cael. “This can be fixed later,” he said, pleading. “Trust me. Please.”
His words made sense, but every instinct I had wanted to rip him apart, to watch his blood fly through the air, along with everyone else in this room. My vision turned to a sea of red, and I could detect nothing but their heartbeats, their vulnerabilities. My mate was being ripped from me—they were hurting her. I’d let myself be pried apart to a thousand pieces before I let them do so. I would make them pay.
I would—
And then my vision went black, and I lost everything.