Chapter 6
Six
Kai
Damn, are the Oscars a thing in the Middle Realm? I need to know immediately because this guy just put on the performance of a lifetime. His ragged breathing, his crazy eyes, and that hiss? Get out of town. Watch out, Middle Realm, someone has a flair for the drama.
My eyes drift over to Cleo. Her lips are pressed into a flat line as she stares him down with a serious expression. I can also see a sense of something else in her gaze, something deeper I can’t place.
While standing, she maintains a perfect posture, showing no ounce of fear, but I catch her knee twitching.
I act without thinking, running to her side just in time to catch her as her knees give out.
I scoop her into my arms and kneel, analyzing her features.
As a coach in my previous life and a pitcher before that, I learned what to watch out for on the field—pale skin, imbalanced steps, knee twitches, and more.
I’ll admit, I find it odd that her knees gave out, considering our bodies don’t work the way they used to.
Perhaps I still have more to learn about the afterlife.
As I hold her in my arms, I take note of the stiffness of her limbs—even her feathered wings feel strained.
How much tension has she been holding in? I didn’t know bodies could be this tense in the afterlife.
“I’m fine,” Cleo says, her eyes darting off to take a look at our audience. For the first time since our archives adventure, I’m close enough to see golden flecks dancing in her eyes again, even as she avoids my eyes. “I just stumbled.”
“You sure, angel?” I ask gently, failing to mask the concern in my voice and not particularly giving a damn about who hears it. Her fall was freaky, and not in a good way. Didn’t like it one bit.
“Certainly.” She wiggles her way out of my grasp to stand upright, and I oblige. She pats her dress down, then lifts her chin to the Archangels. I’m not enjoying the anxious look she’s sporting at the moment. She’s been so well composed up until this trial. This has rocked her.
And it’s my fault.
Scanning the room, I notice everyone else’s stares for the first time since Mr. Drama’s outcry.
Look, I know it may not make much sense, but I broke a huge law of the afterlife. Sure, my reveal didn’t harm Iris, but the fact that I did it at all and hid it from them doesn’t make me look so great. I’d assume this probably hasn’t happened in a very, very long time.
I get why everyone is frazzled, that’s all.
“I heard them discussing it today. Instead of greeting him and introducing herself to him in the foyer, she pulled him into her office. I found that strange—especially because Cleo doesn’t let many people into her office.
"So, I followed them just in case something was wrong. I waited outside her office and overheard him say, ‘I crossed the veil and revealed myself to my sister. I also kept Jasper’s ability to see me a secret.’ That was all I needed to hear.
I bolted away and processed what I heard.
As you all may know, Cleo and I were once close, so sharing this isn’t easy.
After thinking about it, I decided it must be done. ”
I sneak a peek at her, noticing she’s scowling deeply at Stephen. In turn, he’s smirking at her coolly.
Luke pins us with his golden gaze and asks skeptically, “Kai. Cleo. Do you have anything you’d like to share? Do Stephen’s accusations hold merit, or would you speak against them?”
Cleo’s gaze remains stoic.
“We can do this the easy way or the difficult way. The easy way comprises of you both telling us the truth. If that doesn’t work, we can enter your minds to watch the interaction in full.”
My mouth opens to speak before I can think better of it.
“You caught me.” I smile sheepishly before clearing my throat and schooling my expression. “I crossed the veil to reveal myself to my sister.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” Annalise whispers.
“At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. Cleo had nothing to do with this, though. I’m the one who broke the law.”
“By not intervening or reporting your indiscretion, she’s guilty by association,” Jessenia says softly.
“Please, be seated. We need to process this and determine a suitable verdict,” Nial interrupts, staring at us. “For both of you.”
And that’s where I draw the line. Away with the calm, collected Kai—he’s left the realm. “Punishing her won’t be necessary.”
“Says who?” Stephen sneers.
“While your intentions are noble, it would be best for you to refrain from speaking until the sentence has been determined,” Jessenia says plainly. “Stephen, I’d advise you to sit down on the bench and do the same.”
She’s definitely the group’s nice angel—I think the others are too disgruntled to speak at the moment.
“But seriously, just punish me twice as hard to make up for her violation. I can take it,” I urge them harder. Jessenia winces, a look of pity crossing her petite features.
I sneak a timid glance at Cleo, fixating on her unreadable eyes as she sinks into the bench—her mental shields are too good. It’s damn impressive. She parts her lips, as if to say something, then closes her mouth, pressing her lips together tightly.
“We do not take commands from Guardians, Kai Greene,” Luke states boldly. “Now, if you’ll be so kind as to allow us time to deliberate.”
Guess who can cross giving a group of almighty Archangels a direct command off their bucket list?
Me. It’s me.
My jaw ticks, and I reluctantly bite my tongue, walking to the bench and taking a seat next to Cleo. The more I speak, the more I could negatively affect our outcome—a bad habit of mine.
The Archangels are all conversing privately within their heads, careful not to convey any emotions outwardly.
I watch each of them, hoping to catch a fragment of emotion to no avail.
My knee brushes against hers, and she quickly scoots closer to Matt, who hasn’t looked me in the eye once since the news broke.
He and I are close—well, we were close. Given his crossed arms and emotionless expression, he doesn’t seem to be a big fan of me at the moment, and I can’t blame him.
As my mentor, this doesn’t make him look so hot, either.
It’s wild. While guarding Iris, I had zero intention of ever revealing myself to her.
I knew the rules, and for once, I wanted to follow them.
I wanted to ascend more than anything—the Golden Realm sounds like a dream come true.
Then, Jasper showed up, looking at me in the eyes and shit, and everything went to hell.
I had to cross the veil and reveal myself to Iris.
The second she hummed the word please, I had no other choice.
I don’t regret it, I don’t regret it, I don’t regret it.
I repeat this in my mind, convincing myself that my decision was just. I shut my eyes and roll my head back to rest on my shoulders for a moment.
I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t fully understand how my choice affected other angels.
And while I testified to the Archangels, for a second, I truly believed that the violation wouldn’t come to light. I thought wrong—nothing new.
I open my eyes and catch a glimpse of her through my peripheral vision.
Her regal demeanor rivals the Archangels’.
Her eyes, open and alert, remain on the Archangels as they deliberate.
I see a calmness in her expression I didn’t see before…
As though she’s given up and accepted whatever fate lies ahead of us.
Stephen sits on the stone bench across the room from us, pinning her with his malignant dark eyes.
Instead of shying away, she turns to look at him, piercing him with her own gaze.
I don’t know their history, but I find his glare foolish and petty.
He appears to be around my age, if not a little older.
Obviously, he died before me—otherwise, he wouldn’t be strutting around the headquarters this arrogantly—but his physical appearance doesn’t surpass the age of thirty.
His beady eyes—so brown they’re nearly black—continue to bore into Cleo’s.
Finally, she looks away, glancing back at the Archangels with an unimpressed sigh.
He narrows his eyes further before turning his attention toward me.
Damn, where’s the movie popcorn when you need it?
I point my hand to my chest and mouth, “You mad at me, bro?” tossing him a shit-eating grin and raising a brow.
This is entertaining. Not as fun as messing with Jasper, but still fun.
Suddenly, someone clears their throat—Luke. The Archangels settle back into their thrones, except Annalise, who remains on her feet.
“Wouldn’t want to interrupt your staring contest,” Nial drawls, leaning back in his throne and flashing a quick look at Cleo before looking down. “We’ve deliberated and come to a decision. Please rise.”
He motions for us to stand. Annalise takes center stage now—it almost seems as though she’s been leading this procession. I wonder if they take turns leading Guardian rulings.
“Kai Greene, believe what you may, but you’re not the first Guardian who has crossed the veil to reveal himself.
You certainly won’t be the last. Dozens of angels have revealed themselves intentionally to living beings on Earth.
Some have revealed themselves with intentions to impress living beings, seeking glory.
Others revealed themselves as a show of power, exerting dominance over the living. "
I hear a soft gasp from beside me. Good, I’m not the only one who’s shocked.
"As Archangels, we do not reveal the identities of those who break this divine law. Instead, we tend to wipe them from afterlife existence, banishing them for taking advantage of their divine power in selfish ways. These banished beings become fallen angels—stripped of their divine light and forced to remain in the shadows of the land below for all eternity.”
I gulp, readying myself for impact. I’ve never been a fan of the dark.
“However, it is rare for an angel to cross over the veil to reveal themselves for the purpose in which you did. Therefore, we do not find it necessary to banish you from the realm permanently,” Jessenia affirms with a soft smile. A sigh of relief escapes me, while Stephen’s jaw drops in disbelief.
“You got me good. I thought I was about to be forced into a never-ending emo phase.” I push my hand through my hair nervously. They don’t laugh this time. Maybe they’re too old to understand that one.
“Despite your pure intentions, we must maintain order in the afterlife,” Jessenia replies, losing her smile. “We must punish you—and Cleo—for this act.” Damnit.
“We’ve determined the suitable punishments, which read as follows…” Luke holds out his hand, and a talisman flies into it from the pillar of light behind him. He begins to read.
“First, Mr. Greene will remain in the Middle Realm indefinitely.
“Secondly, Mr. Greene will work in the Library of the Sky indefinitely.
“Thirdly, Mr. Greene will not be awarded his wings indefinitely.
“And finally, Mr. Greene will be prohibited from visiting Earth indefinitely.”
The temperature in the room drops as my entire body tenses—the same way it did during the car accident right before I died and joined the stars.
Indefinitely.
Being forced to stay in the Middle Realm to work in a dusty-ass library for an indefinite amount of time sounds like my own personal hell.
The Archangels know exactly what they’re doing.
I can think of no worse way to spend my afterlife.
Hell, being a dark fallen angel would’ve probably been more fulfilling than this.
“If I may, Your Grace,” Matt speaks up for the first time since the ruling started. Luke nods at him, permitting him to continue. “Not receiving his wings and being forced to stay in the Middle Realm seems a little harsh, given his pure intentions.”
“We must maintain order.” Luke tightens his jaw.
“The fact of the matter is, Kai broke our most sacred divine law by crossing the veil and revealing himself to his sister. This cannot be undone. To avoid punishment, we’d need to revise the sacred rules, and we cannot do so without convening with the Seraphim in the realm above.
As such, we cannot simply ignore this. He must be punished. ”
“Quite frankly, he should be grateful we aren’t resorting to banishment,” Nial adds, narrowing his eyes. I press my lips together and nod my chin at Matt. Thanks, buddy, I know you tried, but I’m doomed either way.
“Moving on.” Luke clears his throat, turning his attention to Cleo. “Cleo, your punishment reads as follows:
“Cleo Graves will be suspended from her Watcher position from this day forward until we see fit. Instead, Ms. Graves will be tasked with watching the Guardian she failed to watch properly—Kai Greene.
“She will aid him in the Library of the Sky.
“She will ensure he does not travel between realms.”
Oh, no. She is going to hate this. Working in the library is the most mundane job possible in the Middle Realm… I’d rather be sentenced to shining floors every single day of my existence here than sit and sulk in the library. I bet she echoes my sentiments.
I glance at her briefly, seeing flames erupt in her golden-brown eyes.
Oh, hell yeah, we’re on the same page. This might work in my favor.
“Should either of you have any questions regarding this verdict, speak now.” The Archangels strike us with their gaze.
“What will happen to my current Guardians?” Cleo asks with an edge to her voice. Interesting that the first question she asks is about others.
“We will have Stephen reassign them as he sees fit,” Annalise answers.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I interrupt. “Why Stephen?”
“Kai, Stephen is one of the lead Watchers in the division. He oversees Cleo and has worked with her for decades. Apart from his theatrics today, he is one of our division leaders, and we trust his judgment,” she reassures us.
I clench my jaw, while Cleo simply nods in response, slumping her perfectly straight shoulders in defeat for the first time since I’ve known her.
“Any other questions?” Nial asks.
“How will you ensure I don’t leave the realm?”
“That’s not a suspicious question at all.
” He rolls his eyes. “We’ll share those details with Cleo alone.
If you don’t have any other questions, you’re dismissed, Kai Greene.
You may depart to your quarters and ready yourself for a day of lively work in the library tomorrow.
” He smirks. Nial may be my least favorite.
With that, I look at Cleo one last time, apologizing as sincerely as I can with only my eyes at first, before remembering I can mind speak to her. I’m so sorry I dragged you into this, angel. I’ll make it up to you. I swear it.
Her brown eyes gaze into mine, void of all emotion. Good night, Kai. Please stay out of my head.